The College Years
by SprouseGoose
Summary: The third installment following Cailey on Deck and Senior Year.  High school is over, and its on to the halls of higher learning.
1. Moving In and Moving On

_Chapter 1_

_Again, I don't own any of these characters_

**Author's Note: Since I seriously doubt I can come up with enough ideas for four years of college let alone grad school, I'm going to merge all of my college stories into one story. As everyone is now in different places, this will tend to be more Cody/Bailey centric than my others, but everyone else will still make appearances as well as the three returns I already promised. The first will show up in Chapter 2.**_  
_

Everyone returned from Orlando by Saturday evening. Once back, Cody and Bailey immediately went to work getting everything ready to go by Monday morning. While all of their clothes were being washed, they were organizing everything they had bought and boxing it up. By Sunday night, they started taking all of their things down to their vehicle in the below ground parking garage. Fortunately, their back seat folded down because they were quickly filling up all of the cargo space. And the cargo space of Carey's car and the cargo space of Zack and Cassie's SUV. Cassie, Zack, Carey and Arwin were going to come down to help them move. Carey and Arwin had to leave to come back Monday night, but Zack and Cassie were going to stay the night. After all, they couldn't move into their dorms until the Friday of the following week. Beyond that, Bailey's parents and Kurt and Sarah were flying in from Kansas City to New Haven via Philadelphia with Porkers with them.

Early Monday morning, a caravan of three vehicles left Boston and headed west. Cody and Bailey weren't sure exactly when their deliveries would begin, so they felt they should be there by 9:00 AM to be on the safe side. A couple hours later, they pulled up in front of Cody and Bailey's place. As they got out of the car, Jo Thomas came out of her side of the duplex.

"Welcome."

"Good to finally be here..." Cody turned to Zack, Cassie, Carey and Arwin. "Jo, this is my brother, Zack, his girlfriend and Bailey's cousin, Cassie, my mother, Carey and our friend, Arwin." He turns back to Jo. "Everyone, this is Jo Thomas, our landlord."

Everyone shakes hands and Jo turns back to Cody and Bailey and holds out some keys. "I assume you two will need these...If you all need anything, just let me know." With that, Jo heads back into her half. Cody and Bailey take the keys and open their front door. Before Bailey can walk inside, Cody lifts her up and carries her over the threshold again.

"Had to do that the first time we entered here as our place..."

Bailey just laughed as Cody put her down. Before starting, she gave everyone a quick tour of the place. Everyone agreed that it was nice and looked a lot better in person. Zack and Cassie had agreed to go pick up Maggie, Jo, Kurt and Sarah, so their vehicle was the first one to be unloaded. It was mostly filled with bags of clothing which they could unpack and hang in the closets or store in the closet to keep out of the way until the furniture arrived. After that was done, Zack and Cassie headed off to the New Haven Airport while everyone else begin unloading things they could put in the kitchen cabinets.

The first delivery truck arrived around 11:00 AM. It was the partner's desk. The delivery guys carried it into the apartment and place it exactly where Bailey told them to put it. Once it was placed, they could put down the mats on the carpet so their desk chairs could move about easier. Soon after that, the next delivery truck pulled up. It was the brass bed. Again, the delivery guys brought it into the bedroom and put it together exactly where Bailey told them too. About the time that truck was pulling away, Zack and Cassie pulled back up with Joe, Maggie, Kurt and Sarah. They had to be quickly given a tour as a large truck from the furniture store was spotted coming down the street.

Since so much had to be unloaded off the truck, they delivery guys were there for a while. And again, Cody deferred to Bailey to let her place everything where she wanted it. He really had no preferences, and figured he would let the delivery guys place everything so he didn't have to change things later. By the time the truck pulled away, the place was beginning to come together. Now, they could let Porkers out of his travel carrier and let him get used to his new place. Finally, the final truck from the electronics store arrived and began unloading its contents. The delivery guys were bringing in boxes when Zack began to laugh.

"Cody?"

Cody came back into the living room and looked at his brother. "What?"

"I didn't know you had it in you!"

Cody looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I never pegged you for a 65 inch flat screen..."

"What?" Cody looked over at the huge box being carried in. "We didn't order that!"

The delivery guys set the box down and hand Cody an envelope. By this time, Bailey has joined Cody, and they both open the envelope and read the letter inside together.

_Bailey and Cody,_

_Haven't I taught you both anything since you've known me? That dinky little TV you bought will be fine for your bedroom, but I decided you two needed something more to help pass those longer winter nights. I know you two have other ideas, but consider this my housewarming gift to you both._

_London_

Cody and Bailey look to each other and sigh. "London..."

The delivery guy looks at them. "So, can we get back to work now?"

Cody and Bailey nod in defeat.

The delivery guys began setting up a full home theater system complete with flatscreen, DVD player, CD player with Ipod port, BluRay player, surround sound speakers and a Wii stocked with numerous games.

Everyone was given tasks to do. Kurt and Joe were given the task of assembling desk chairs and bookshelves in the home office. Maggie and Carey were organizing the kitchen. Arwin was putting together the dining room table and chairs. Sarah and Cassie were organizing the bathrooms. Cody and Bailey were unpacking everything in their bedroom and putting their clothes away as well as dressing the bed. Zack was in charge of keeping Porkers company and vice versa.

Within a couple of hours, the apartment that was bare earlier that morning was finally done. Everyone decided to go grab some dinner at a local restaurant so Carey and Arwin could get back on the road to Boston. First, they had to go pick up Kurt and Sarah's rental car so they could move on to Hartford later. After dinner, they hugged Cody and Bailey goodbye and left. Joe, Maggie, Sarah and Kurt made their way to their hotel. Maggie and Joe had to get back to the farm, so they were due to fly back the next night. Kurt and Sarah had purposely scheduled some shows in Hartford for the end of that week and the beginning of the next so they could be around to help both couples move in.

After dinner, the four headed back to Cody and Bailey's apartment to just hangout. They all were exhausted and slumped down in the living room when they got back.

Cody turned to Bailey. "Well, we're here..."

"I know...I have no desire to move again any time soon..."

"It'll probably take us four years to forget how much of pain this was..."

Bailey laughed. "Sounds about right...Long enough for us to think moving will be a good idea again..."

Cassie smiled at them. "After this, I'm just glad the dorms already have all the furniture in them already..."

Zack laughed. "I don't know. I could get used to this. That TV is sweet..."

Cody rolled his eyes. "Zack, if you had that in your dorm, you'd never go to class..."

"Probably...Of course, you did wait till after we no longer lived together or across the hall to get one of those..."

"We didn't get it...London did."

"Well, I just hope you both know that you two will be hosting the big events like the Super Bowl..."

Bailey smiled. "That's fine..."

Cassie smiled at her cousin. "It is awfully convenient that you guys have orientation that days we are supposed to move in so you can't help us..."

"We didn't schedule it..." With that, Bailey yawns.

Cody turns to her. "Sounds like you are ready for bed."

Bailey nods. "Its been a long day."

Cody nods. "Alright, lets pull out the sleeper sofa and we can all call it a night."

Everyone got ready for bed, and Cody and Bailey climbed into their new bed for the first time. As they laid there, Cody leaned down and kissed Bailey's forehead.

"Welcome home, Bails..."

Bailey looked up at him and smiled. "Welcome home, Codykins..."

"I'm glad we have almost two weeks, we have a lot to do still..."

"I know. Maybe after we give everyone a tour of campus tomorrow, we should stop by the bookstore and see about our books?"

Cody nods. "Good idea. We also need to stop by the post office and do our change of address forms. And at some point tomorrow, we need to find a grocery store."

Bailey nodded and giggled. "Yeah, we probably would make sense to have food in the house..."

"And there's a few other things we need to think about..."

"Like what?"

"Well, do we want to change our driver's licenses to Connecticut licenses and do we want to register to vote here?"

Bailey paused. "I don't know..."

Cody smiled. "Well, its not something we have to decide right now, we still have time."

Bailey smiled. "All I want to do right now is go to sleep..."

Cody slides behind her and wraps his arms around her. "Goodnight then..." He leans down and kisses her goodnight. "I love you..."

"I love you too..."

And with that, they both fell asleep in their new place for the first time. In the morning, they met their parents for breakfast and then gave them a tour of the campus. Everyone seemed impressed, especially seeing the "tomb" of the infamous Skull and Bones secret society. After the tour was done, they bid farewell to their parents and walked back to the apartment. Cassie and Zack packed up their things and loaded their vehicle.

Cassie and Bailey were hugging each other goodbye.

Bailey smiled. "You know I'm only a phone call away or a couple of hours drive..."

"I know. I'm really going to miss you. You make sure Cody takes care of you."

"I will. And you make sure Zack takes care of you too..."

Cassie smiled. "I will too..."

Bailey grinned. "Though, I think he already did our last night in Orlando..."

Cassie just looks at her cousin. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing. Just be careful..."

Cassie nods. "I will. You do the same."

"I'll do my best. And if you have time, keep an eye on Woody and Addison..."

Cassie laughed. "I only have so many hours in the day..."

Bailey laughed. "Well, if you need help, don't be afraid to call in the cavalry..."

Cassie hugged Bailey again. "I don't know why I'm getting so emotional. Its not like we aren't ever going to see each other again..."

Bailey hugged her right back. "You'll still see us so much you'll get sick of us..."

"Never..."

They finally pull apart. Bailey goes over and hugs Zack. "You better take good care of her for me..."

Zack nods. "I will. And I'm entrusting my only brother to you. You better take good care of him too."

"You can count on that."

Cassie hugs Cody. "You take good care of my girl, you hear me?"

"You know I will. And you take care of my boy too. And if he gives you any trouble, don't hesitate to call me..."

"I won't..."

Finally, Zack and Cody look at each other.

"I guess its time, huh?"

"I guess so..." Cody pauses. "Finally separating after 18 years..."

"I know..."

"But, we are leaving each other in good hands."

Zack smiled. "I know..."

Cody pulled his brother into a hug. "You take care of yourself, okay. And if you get yourself into any trouble, you call me..."

"I will...and you better do the same..."

"I will..." Cody leans in and whispers. "And you take care of Cassie too, you hear me?"

"You have my word..."

Cody pulls Zack to the side. "Good. Because I know your relationship has changed..."

Zack just stared at his brother. "Why do you say that?"

Cody smiled. "I recognized that goofy grin you had that last morning in Orlando. I had the exact same one..."

Zack sighed. "That obvious, huh?"

"You knew something was up with me last summer, you don't think I saw the exact same things?"

"Are you going to tell anyone?"

"No, Bailey has her suspicions too, but its none of our business. Just be careful..." Cody grinned. "I'm not quite ready to be an uncle yet..."

"But don't some of Bailey's sisters already have kids? You're pretty much already an uncle..."

Cody laughed. "You know what I mean..."

"Yeah, I do..." Zack pulled his brother in for another hug. "I guess this is the end of an era..."

"Maybe...But the beginning of new one. And in both, you'll always be my brother, and I love you..."

"I love you too, bro..."

Zack and Cody finally broke apart, and soon, Zack and Cassie were back on the road. Cody and Bailey stood there with Cody's arm around Bailey's waist.

"Looks like its just the two of us now..."

_To be Continued..._


	2. The Return of an Old Friend

_Chapter 2_

_Again, I don't own any of these characters_

The next two weeks flew by as Cody and Bailey got done those last details they had to take care of. Thankfully their books were included as part of their scholarships as both of their tabs after books, notebooks, folders, new heavy duty backpacks, pens and pencils were quite large. They debated between used and new textbooks but decided to go with new ones. Afterall, even though the last person who used them might have been a Yale student, they could have been an idiot. So, all of their books and supplies were set out on their bookshelves ready for the first day of class.

Unfortunately for them, the closest grocery store to Yale's campus had recently closed, so they had to do some some research to find one close by. Eventually, they found a Wal-Mart superstore and Sam's Club about ten minutes away. They figured there were somethings better bought in bulk. Their first trip there was a long one as they had to buy all cleaning supplies, household necessities and food. But once that was done, they were fully self-sufficient in their place. They did learn there was a 7-11 within walking distance in case of an emergency or slurpee craving.

After that was done, they just took it easy. They let themselves get acclimated to the area and find out where things were in New Haven. But, they wanted to ease themselves into living in a new town. Fortunately, adjusting to being by themselves was not hard at all. It was just like being back in their cabin except they had a kitchen and multiple rooms. Even Porkers was adjusting well. He had his own bed in the home office. Both Bailey and Cody decided that would be best as they did really want an audience in their bedroom or risk feeling a warm snout on them at the wrong time.

Eventually, freshman orientation was approaching and they got their schedules for it. As they reviewed them, they realized mostly everything was optional and many things like a tour of campus and a bus ride exploring New Haven they had already done. So, they decided to head to the Friday morning activities and then surprise Zack and Cassie up in Storrs. A quick call to Carey got them the information they would need.

As they arrived at the student center Friday morning, all the participating freshman were split up into smaller groups so they could get to know their fellow freshmen. Cody and Bailey were split into two separate groups, but they agreed to meet up back at the apartment around noon to get on the road.

As Bailey sat around her group, she listened as best as she could to her fellow freshmen, but she got the impression that many came off as pretentious. She certainly hoped she and Cody didn't come off like that. To her, the only one in her group who seemed somewhat normal was another brunette girl sitting across from her. Everyone had to go around the group and tell everyone a little about themselves. As Bailey was sitting there trying to focus, she felt her phone vibrating. She looked at it and there was a text message from Cody.

_I hope yours isn't as boring as mine is..._

Bailey suppressed a laugh and quickly texted back.

_I bet mine is worse than yours!_

However, as she was doing this, she caught the last part of what the brunette girl was saying. She heard that she had grew up in Boston but had moved away before high school. Bailey wished she had caught her name. There was a chance that it was someone Cody, Zack or London knew. Bailey shrugged and went back to sitting through the rest of the orientation discussion. To her, this seemed like something they would have the first day of kindergarten, not the first day of college.

Finally, once it was over, Bailey collected her purse and decided to walk over to the brunette girl.

"I heard you say you grew up in Boston. Its a great town, I've spent the past two summers there myself..."

The girl smiled. "Yeah. I really miss it. I never wanted to leave. I was looking forward to going to Cheavers High with my friends, but I had no say in the matter..."

"Did you say Cheavers High?"

"Yeah, have you been there?"

"Not personally, but my fiance and two of my friends spent a year there...Maybe you know them?"

The girl sighed. "Probably not. I stuck mostly to my small group of friends. I may have heard of them, but odds are I didn't know them that well. What's your fiance's name?"

"Cody Martin."

The brunette girls just stared at Bailey in disbelief. "D...D...Did you just say Cody Martin?"

Bailey nodded. "Yes, I did..."

"Cody? Blond hair, blue eyes? Kind of a...real smart guy? Has a twin brother?"

Bailey smiled. "That's him!"

The girl's mouth just hangs open in shock. "Cody is engaged?"

Bailey smiles. "He sure is...I'm Bailey Pickett by the way..."

"Max...Max Baker..."

Bailey stares at her. "Wait a minute! Are you the Max that Cody and Zack talked about? It was those two, you and Earthworm..."

Max laughs. "That's Tapeworm...And yes, that's me..." Max pauses. "You're really engaged to Cody?"

Bailey smiles again and shows Max her ring. "Yeah, he's the love of my life..."

Max just shakes her head. "I never saw that coming...So, if you are here, where's Cody?"

"He's a student here too. He was in a different orientation group. We have an apartment together just off campus..." Bailey pauses. "I'm supposed to go meet him there now, you want to come say hello?"

"Definitely. I didn't think I'd know anyone here. It's a relief to know that Cody is around..."

"Come on then, our place is this way..."

Bailey leads Max back to the apartment and leads her inside. Porkers immediately runs up to her and begins oinking.

Bailey smiled at him. "Did you miss me?" She turns to Max. "This is Porkers. He's our third roommate..."

Max leans down and pets Porker's head. "Nice to meet you, Porkers."

About that time, the front doors opens again and Cody comes in.

"Bails, I'm back..." He notices Bailey isn't alone. "I'm sorry, didn't know we had company..."

Max just stares at him. "Cody?"

Cody looks at the young woman again and it dawns on him. "Max?"

Max runs over and hugs Cody. "It is you!"

Max pulls apart. "Look at you! You're taller and I definitely don't remember you having muscles before!"

Cody laughs. "The height finally came and the muscles I've been working on for the past year...Look at you though! You've grown up quite a bit yourself..."

Max laughs. "Well, it has been four years since you've seen me...But you! You're engaged?"

Cody walks over and wraps his arm around Bailey. "Yeah. When I met my little hay bale here, I knew that was it..."

Bailey does her little giggle which Max just stares at.

Cody smiles. "I love that sound..."

Max shrugs. "Why do you call her your 'hay bale'?"

Bailey smiles. "Well, I grew up on a farm in a little town called Kettlecorn, Kansas..."

Now Max was confused. "Wait a minute...if you're from Kansas and you were still in Boston, how did you two meet?"

Cody nods. "We met at Seven Seas High. It was a high school on board the S.S. Tipton. London, Zack and I all went there for our final three years. And that's where I met my Bails..."

"So that's where you all went..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, a couple of years ago, I was back in Boston and stopped by the Tipton. I asked the snooty waiter there if he knew where you guys were, but all he said was that you and Zack no longer lived there..."

Cody paused. "Speaking of going some place, what about you? You just up and disappeared one day..."

Max paused. "I didn't want to leave, but I had to..."

"What happened?"

"My grandmother got real sick and we had to go take care of her. While we were in Philadelphia, my Dad got offered a good job opportunity he couldn't turn down. So, next thing I know, I'm living in Philadelphia..."

Bailey speaks up. "Is your grandmother okay now?"

Max nods. "Yeah, much better. Thanks."

Cody smiles. "Good. My Grandma had a heart attack several months ago. She's doing better now, but we know what that's like..."

"So, tell me more about you two. How long have you been going out?"

Bailey smiled. "Almost two and a half years now..."

"Wow...When did Cody propose?"

"On my birthday...It was the most amazing day..."

Max just laughs. "Cody Martin is engaged..." She shrugs. "Well, I guess that's more believable than if it was Zack..."

Cody laughs. "Well, he may be on his way there himself..."

Max looks at Cody in shock. "What? Zack?"

Bailey smiled. "Its true. He's been dating my cousin for over a year now. Trust me, it completely surprised me too..."

"Wow...What is he up to nowadays anyways?"

"Actually, he's moving into his dorm at UCONN today. We were going to go up to Storrs to help out..." Cody paused. "You want to go with us, see Zack and meet some more of our friends?"

Max pauses. "Yeah...I'd like that."

Cody smiles. "Alright, let's go!"

_To be Continued..._


	3. A Visit to Storrs

_Chapter 3_

_Again, I don't own any of these characters_

After making sure that Porkers had enough food and water, they all loaded up in the SUV and headed out. Soon enough, they were on the road and on the interstate. As the passed the two hour long drive, Cody and Bailey filled Max in on some of their adventures at Seven Seas High. Max kept asking questions about Cody and Bailey's relationship. As they told her about their love story, she lamented on how she wished she could find her prince charming too (Bailey's words). They both told her to keep her chin up, and she would find him when she least expected it.

They pulled into Storrs and made their way to UCONN's campus. Following the directions Carey gave them, they quickly found the dorm they were looking for and parked. (_Yes, I know finding an open parking space on move in weekend on any college campus is impossible, but this is fiction afterall)_. They make there way up to the correct floor and down the hall to Zack's room. They found the door propped open and Zack and Carey inside organizing things. Cody knocks on the door, and Zack and Carey look up to see him and Bailey. They don't see Max standing behind them.

"What are you two doing here? I thought you had orientation..."

"We did...this morning. We decided to come down for the afternoon and help out..."

Zack smiled. "Thanks...But we have most of the heavy lifting done..."

"Oh well...What would you say to us bringing you a surprise then?"

"What kind of surprise? You letting me and Woodchuck have your TV?"

"Not quite...Besides, we've grown to like it...Anyways, here's our surprise..." Cody steps aside, and there stands Max.

"Hey, Zack..."

Zack just stares in complete shock. "Max?"

Max smiles. "So, you do remember me then..."

Zack smiles. "Of course..." He walks over and hugs Max. "I can't believe you're here..."

Unfortunately for Zack, that was the exact moment Cassie came into the room through the bathroom and caught the sight in front of her. "Hey, Zack...What is going on here?"

Zack turned and realized he was in a compromising position. "Cassie...You remember Cody's and my friend Max I told you all about...Well, here she is...Max, this is my beautiful girlfriend, Cassie..."

Cassie nods. "Nice to meet you...I didn't know she was a student here..."

Max responds. "I'm not. I'm actually a student at Yale. I met Bailey this morning at orientation and learned she was engaged to Cody. She took me to Cody who mentioned they were coming up to surprise you guys and asked me to come along...So, here I am."

Zack turned to her. "You're at Yale? I'm impressed..."

Max sighs and explains why she had to leave Boston. "And not knowing anyone in Philly, all I did was study and Yale accepted me..."

Zack teases her. "Well, if they let you in, maybe I should have applied too..."

Cassie stands there trying not to feel jealous. "Ummm...Bailey, can you help me with something?"

Bailey nods and Cassie almost pulls her through the bathroom to her dorm room. Cassie closes the door and turns to Bailey. "What do you two think you were doing bringing her here?"

Bailey just looked at Cassie in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"That's Max!"

"Yeah...I've learned that today..."

"Also known as Zack's first kiss!"

"Yeah, so? Cassie, that was years ago..." Bailey paused. "Haven't we had this conversation before but only in reverse?"

Cassie sighs. "That was different..."

"How so?"

"Because that was you and this is me!"

"Aren't you the same one who told me that I was being stupid and jealous when Rebecca showed up? And that I should trust in Cody? Well, you were right..."

Cassie sighs. "I did, didn't I?"

"Besides, you have nothing to worry about. In case you haven't noticed, you've changed Zack. Before you came along, I often wondered if there was any hope for him. But with you in his life, he's come a long, long way. And that's because of you..."

"So why does this bother me so much?"

Bailey smiled. "Because he's your feller. You're very protective of him. Its the same reason I went crazy for a little while."

"You're right...especially after Orlando..."

"Then trust him. And if you want, I'll make sure Cody has a talk with him."

"Don't do that. I'd be so embarrassed..."

"Alright, just promise me you won't let this drive you crazy..."

"I'll try..."

"Come on, lets head back in there and then we'll finish getting you moved in. Are Woody and Addison here yet?"

Cassie shakes here head. "No, they aren't flying in until tomorrow morning..."

Cassie and Bailey walk back in the other dorm room.

Zack turns to them. "Everything okay?"

Cassie nods. "Yeah, the zipper on one of my bags got stuck and Bailey helped me unjam it."

"Cool..." Zack turns to Cody. "Codester, can you help me get the last couple of boxes out of the car?"

Cody nods. "Yeah, sure..."

After the boys leave, Max turns back to Cassie and Bailey.

"So, you're Cassie. I've just met you, and I'm already impressed..."

Cassie looked surprised. "You are?"

Max laughs. "Of course, any girl who can tame Zack has my respect...I always wondered if he would ever settle down..."

Carey looks up. "Tell me about it..."

Cassie smiles. "Really?"

Max nods. "Yeah. Back when I was young and dumb, I had a crush on him. Thankfully I grew out of that..." She pauses. "Not to say Zack is a bad guy, he's not, he's one of my oldest friends..."

Cassie laughs. "Its okay. Zack is...well...Zack..."

Max laughs. "Exactly. I'm just afraid of what I'm going to find guy wise at Yale..."

Bailey nodded. "I know what you mean. With the exception of you, everyone in our orientation group seemed so...so..."

"Pretentious?"

"Exactly!"

Max chuckles. "I'm just glad to know there will be at least a couple of normal people around..."

Cassie laughs. "That's if you consider Cody and Bailey normal..."

Bailey turns to her cousin. "Hey!"

Cassie smiles. "I'm kidding, Cuz...You know I love you..." She turns to Max. "But, if you are going to hang around those two for any period of time, you are going to have to get used to how disgustingly sweet they are with each other..."

"That bad, huh?"

Carey looks up again. "Yup."

Bailey just stares at her future mother-in-law. Carey laughs. "I'm kidding, Bailey. I think its wonderful that you two have no problem showing each other how you feel about each other..."

Cassie smiles. "They really aren't that bad...most of the time."

Bailey sighs. "I love my feller and he loves me. I have no problem with the whole world knowing that!"

Max sighs. "At least you two have fellers...If this morning was any indication, it may take me a while to find one of my own..."

Meanwhile, Zack and Cody are gathering the last boxes and bags from the car. Zack turns to his brother.

"Was it just me or was there an ice in the air between Cassie and Max?"

Cody shrugs. "Maybe...Afterall, she does know Max was your first kiss..."

"So? That was years ago..."

"Dude, you're preaching to the choir here. I went through the exact same thing about a year ago, remember?"

"Oh yeah...When Bailey went nutso over that Rebecca girl..."

"Yeah..."

Zack sighs. "So, what should I do?"

"Just show her that she's your woman and you're her feller...Beyond that, there's not really much you can do..."

"Feller? I think Bailey is rubbing off on to you..."

Cody shrugs. "It happens..."

"Why do girls have to make big deals out of nothing?"

"You're asking me to explain women to you?"

Zack shivers. "That's a scary thought..."

Cody laughs. "You'll be fine...Just do what I do. Stop trying to understand women and concentrate on understanding your woman."

"I guess so..."

"Besides, Max will be down in New Haven with us. Its not like you're going to see her that often anyways..."

"True. It is kind of of crazy that she just reappeared like that..." Zack laughs. "I wonder who will show up next?"

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: Nothing story line related, but I would pass along a twitter posting from Debby Ryan herself. "Don't give up! We're all pulling for team Cailey." Just figured the Cailey fans could use that bit of encouragement in knowing the actors are rooting for them too. In a related not, she said they were filming their last week this week.**


	4. The Return of Old Enemy

_Chapter 4_

_Again, I don't own any of these characters_

Eventually, Cody, Bailey and Max had to return to New Haven after finishing help Zack and Cassie get settled. Afterall, there was Porkers they had to get home to. And, there was more orientation they had to attend the next couple of days. Of course, after having sat through it, they wished they hadn't. There wasn't a single thing they were advised that they didn't already know.

Monday brought their first day of college classes. Both were surprised by the concept of syllabus day as both were ready to dive right in. Their Biology professor seemed alright, but you could tell he was just teaching classes because he had too. His main area of focus was definitely research. Of course, they already knew Bill Thomas, so they didn't have to make any first impressions on him. And their chemistry professor seemed to be good as Bill had said she was.

After their first day of classes, they just relaxed at home. This was their last day to be able to do just that. Starting the next night, they were going to do what few college students actually do...the assigned reading.

The next day was class with Bill again in the morning and a couple of hours to waste until their chemistry lab. They arrived for their lab early to make sure they got a good lab area. As there was no class in the room before hand, they looked around before they found just the table they wanted and settled onto their lab stools. As they waited for everyone else to arrive, Cody excused himself to run to the men's room.

As Bailey sat their waiting flipping through their lab manual, another student walked into the lab and his eyes immediately fell on Bailey. He smiled to himself and strolled over to her table and slipped onto Cody's stool.

"Is this seat taken?"

Bailey looked up. "Yes, it is."

"Maybe you and I could find a table to ourselves then?"

"I don't think so. You see, the seat is taken by my fiance..."

"Don't tell me that. A pretty thing as you shouldn't be off the market already..."

Bailey rolled her eyes. "Well, I am..."

The guy grinned. "Maybe its not too late to get you to change your mind..."

"No chance of that happening...Now, will you please get out of his seat?"

"Fine, but I'm going to be keeping my eye on you...I'm..."

"Theo?"

Theo turned around and grinned. "Nerd Boy!"

Cody sighed. "Great..."

Bailey turned to Cody. "Do you know this...person, Codykins?"

"Unfortunately, I do..."

Theo looks back forth between them. "Wait a minute! Martin is your fiance?" He begins to laugh. "You can do sooooo much better than this guy!"

Bailey smirks. "Great...I've met my first jerk at college..."

Theo smirks right back. "Doll, I'm the best thing you'll meet here..."

"I see why Cody says he feels unfortunate that he knows you...I've met you for five minutes, and I already wish I hadn't..."

Theo turns to Cody and smiles. "Long time, no see, Martin...I know college is going to be fun now. But I don't see your brother around to stick up for you now..."

Cody smirks back. "I don't need Zack to stand up for me anymore. I can take care of myself just fine..."

"I guess we'll see about that, now won't we?" Theo grabs his stuff and finds another open seat.

Bailey turns to Cody. "Who was that?"

Cody sighs. "That was Theo...imagine London like resources with Reina's sense of self importance..."

Bailey frowns. "That sounds unpleasant..."

"Tell me about it. He enjoyed making fun of me back in the day and had Zack dancing like a puppet by giving him things..."

"Well, just from what I've seen, he's a real jerk..."

Cody nods. "He is...So much for him growing out of it. Unfortunately, he'll probably think it fun to try to get under my skin again. And as such, you'll probably be a target of his as well..."

Bailey smiled. "Then I guess he'll just have to learn what happens to people who mess with us..."

Cody smiled back at her. "Have I ever told you how lucky I am to have you?"

"I'm lucky to have you too. We're a team..." She holds up the moose charm on her bracelet. "Just remember, we don't let anyone cause us problems."

Cody nods. "I know. You know, lets try to forget about him. This campus is big enough for everyone. We'll only have to acknowledge his existence once a week..."

"Sounds like a plan to me..."

Back at his own table, Theo can't help but grin. His parents had made him come to Yale, and he thought it was going to be boring. But now, his old whipping boy was here too. And to boot, he had a fiancee that looked good to Theo. He couldn't help but think how much fun it would be to destroy Cody and take his fiancee away from him. Besides, Theo knew Cody wasn't his match in anyway.

The teaching assistant finally arrived and handed out the syllabus. After going over it, he had everyone sign up as lab partners. Of course, Cody and Bailey were each other's partner. The TA went over the syllabus and told everyone what to expect for their first official lab the next week. To Cody and Bailey, it was something both had already done before.

After they left class, Cody and Bailey returned back to their apartment and proceeded to do their reading for their classes the next day. Once done, Cody began to fix their dinner. Halfway through, he realized they had forgot to pick up something as basic as salt and pepper. Bailey just smiled at him and said she would run down the street to the 7-11 as she was sure they would have some, and if not she would grab enough salt and pepper packets to carry them over.

And she was right, they did have what she was looking for. Standing in line, she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up as she heard that voice again.

"So, we meet again..."

Bailey rolled her eyes and decided to ignore him.

"You know, I never did catch your name in class earlier..."

Bailey turned around and smirked. "Because I never told you..."

Theo smirked. "I just figured I should know the name of my new lady..."

"Well, for one, I will never be your lady. I'd rather stick my hand in a wood chipper..."

"How can you say that? You don't even know me..."

"I've heard enough about you to know I don't want to..."

"So, you took Martin's word for the truth?"

"Yes, I did. And I have no desire to know you..."

Theo was grinning. She was a spirited one. This was going to me more fun than he thought.

"You'll be changing your tune...Once you're ready for a real man."

"I already have one."

"No, you have Cody..."

Bailey is growing angry. "I have the man I love and the man I'm planning on spending the rest of my life with..."

"We'll see about that..."

Bailey turns and get right into Theo's face. "Look, I've once gelded a bull with my bare hands...Do you want me to do the same to you?"

Theo laughs. "Yeah, right..."

"Believe me, if you bother Cody or me anymore, I will have no problem doing it..."

Theo grabs her wrist. "I guess we'll see, won't we?"

Bailey uses her free hand and slaps the taste out of Theo's mouth.

He pulls back and finds his lip bleeding. He then stares at her. "You shouldn't have done that..."

"You shouldn't have put you hands on me!"

"You just sealed your own fate as well as Cody's! I was going to let you have the pleasure of being with me, but I'm going to destroy you both now!"

_To be Continued..._


	5. An Unexpected Ally

_Chapter 5_

_Again, I don't own any of these characters_

Bailey returned back to the apartment, and Cody stepped out of the kitchen, but he could immediately tell that something was wrong.

"Bails?"

She immediately threw herself into his arms and just held on tight. Cody wasn't sure what was going on, but decided to just rub her back gently. Finally she calmed down and looked up at him.

"Bails, is everything okay?"

"I don't know..." Bailey proceeded to tell Cody about her run in with Theo in the convenience store.

"Did he hurt you?"

Bailey shakes her head. "No, as soon as he grabbed my wrist, I slapped him and he let go..."

"He had no right to put his hands on you."

"Cody, that doesn't matter right now. He's vowed to destroy us! And you said he had London like resources..."

"I don't care about his resources, if he tries anything else with you again, I will personally deal with him."

"If you do that, you could get expelled!"

"I don't care. I'll do whatever it takes to protect you..."

"Well, I do care! I don't want you to do anything rash or stupid..."

Cody pauses. "Bails, you know you are the most important thing in my life. I will do whatever it takes to keep you from getting hurt..." He sighs. "This is my fault. If I had stood up to him back then, this might not be happening..."

Bailey places her hands on Cody's cheeks. "This is not your fault at all! So, don't ever let me hear you say anything like that again!"

Cody nods.

Bailey continues. "We'll just have to keep our eyes open from now on."

Cody sighs. "You're right..."

"Josh Masters thought he was going to destroy us too, but he failed miserably. If this Theo thinks he can succeed, he has another thing coming..."

"So, what do we do?"

Bailey paused. "I don't know..."

They are interrupted by a knock at their door. Cody goes over to answer it and finds Jo standing there.

"I just wanted to stop and see how your first couple of days of class were going..." Immediately, she knows something is wrong. "Is everything okay?"

Cody sighs. "I don't think so. Seems we've already made an enemy our second day of classes..."

Jo pauses. "I think you two need to tell me what's going on..."

Cody and Bailey proceed to tell Jo about who Theo is, their encounter with him in lab earlier that day, and Bailey's encounter with him later.

Jo nods. "I see. He's one of those students then. Unfortunately, some students here come from powerful backgrounds and think they are untouchable..." She pauses. "Tell you what..." She pulls out a piece of paper and writes something down. "This is an old friend of ours in campus security. Give him a call. I think he'll be able to help you some."

Cody and Bailey thank her for her help and promise they will call this person tomorrow. They both try to continue on that night as though nothing is wrong, but both know its a cloud hanging over them. They next morning, they call the individual and set up a chance to meet with him after class. They go about their classes as normal, and at 2:30, find themselves sitting outside an office in the campus security building. Finally, they are called inside and find an older African American man that they could swear looked familiar.

"So, you are Bailey Pickett and Cody Martin?"

"Yes, sir..."

He smiles. "I'm Captain Murray Morris...I believe you both know my son..."

Cody and Bailey looked at him in confusion before it dawned on them. "Kirby..."

"That's the one. He has nothing but the best things to say about you both. And after everything you did for him, I'd like to help in any way that I can. So, why don't you tell me what happened exactly?"

Cody and Bailey go through what Captain Morris everything that happened the day before.

He nods. "I see...Well, right off the bat, I could bring him in for assault, but something tells me he would walk from that pretty easy. What I can do is make sure my guys make more patrols near your place in case he tries something there. And if he does anything else, let me know immediately."

"So, what should we do now?"

"Just go about your normal lives. Don't let this guy get to you. If he's the type I think he is, he wants you two to be worried. The best thing you can do is not let it affect you. Odds are he's just bluffing and trying to get under your skin. But, if he's not, we're here..."

Cody and Bailey thank him and head back to their apartment. The did have class to prepare for the next day. So, they tried to live life as normal as possible. They went to class, they studied, and they spent time together. The rest of the week went by and they started their week again the next Monday.

By Tuesday, they knew they were going to have see Theo again, but both agreed that it would be best to ignore him. When they arrived for class, they proceeded to do the experiment as it was supposed to be done and wrote up their lab report as required. They could tell Theo was watching them, but both put it our of their minds. Bailey felt everything would work out in the end, but she still kept her guard up. Cody, on the other hand, wanted to be more proactive. But he had no idea where to start. He had promised Bailey he wouldn't do anything that could get him expelled.

That night, as they did every night, they made sure the apartment was locked up safe and secure. However, early in the morning, Cody felt something. He opened his eyes and found Porkers nudging him with his snout. Cody was about to say something when he heard another noise. It was like someone was messing with the front door. He got out of bed and immediately grabbed the baseball bat they kept underneath the bed. He walked to the living room and looked out the peephole. It was dark, so he flipped on the front door light.

Well, that set things off. He could see through the peephole that someone dressed in black immediately ran off. Cody immediately pulled out his phone and called campus security, and they assured him that someone would be over soon.

Cody sighed and turned around to see a half asleep Bailey walking into the living room.

"Cody, what's going on?"

"Someone tried to break in."

Bailey looked surprised. "What?"

Cody nodded. "Porkers woke me up, and I heard someone messing with the front door. I turned on the porch light and whoever it was ran off. I just called campus security, and they are sending someone over..."

"Oh my gosh...Do you think Theo was behind it?"

"I would almost bet on it, but there is no way to prove it..."

Bailey walks over and hugs Cody. "What do we do?"

"Why don't you go on back to bed. No sense in both of us staying up..."

Bailey shook her head. "No way. Besides, how am I supposed to sleep now?"

Cody smiled. "We'll take Porkers in there with you. He's proven to be quite the watch pig..."

Bailey smiled. "I told you he was very smart..."

"Of course he is. How many pigs do you know in the ivy league?"

Bailey sighed. "Unfortunately, two now, but calling Theo a pig is an insult to pigs..."

"Don't worry, if he was behind this, he'll pay for it..."

"Cody, I just don't want a repeat of the Josh incident. Remember, you were almost killed..."

"I'll be fine, Sweetie."

"I'll feel a lot better if we could find a way to get Theo off our backs..."

"So, would I...I wish I had an idea..."

Bailey took his hands in hers. "Just remember. There is nothing he can do to break us. We're too strong for that."

Cody nods. "I know. I just wish we had a way to know what he was thinking..."

Meanwhile, across campus, Theo was on the phone with someone and didn't look happy. He snapped his phone shut and threw it across the room.

"You may have escaped this time, but you won't the next..."

_To be Continued..._


	6. Going Out on Her Own

_Chapter 6_

_Again, I don't own any of these characters_

Campus police did finally arrive. They questioned Cody and did their thing, but there wasn't much they could do. No fingerprints were found and no one got a good look at whoever it was. Campus police did say they would keep someone around in case whoever it was came back. By the time they left, it was close to 4 AM, and Cody and Bailey tried to get a few hours sleep before class.

The next morning before their economics class, they filled Bill in on what happened the night before, and he promised them he would make sure security was beefed up. Cody and Bailey continued on with their classes as best as they could, but both now carried bear repellant on them. They wanted everything to look as normal as possible as Max was coming over that night for dinner.

As they sat around the dining room table, they talked.

"I appreciate you both having me over tonight. My roommate is nice enough, but I'm glad to have some time away from her..."

Bailey turned to her. "Why's that?"

Max sighed. "She's one of those who are very in tune with Mother Earth and very ultra women's lib..."

"What does that mean?"

"She doesn't believe in shaving her body hair or deodorant and believe men are the scourge of the earth"

Cody grimaced. "Really?"

Max nods. "I'm afraid so..."

Bailey laughed. "Maybe I should try not shaving or using deodorant..."

Cody could only look at her. "Please say you're kidding..."

"Don't worry, Codykins...I was." She turns to Max. "Cody could never live like that..."

"Yeah?"

"He has as many hygiene and grooming products in the bathroom as I do..."

"No way!"

"Oh yeah. He's big on moisturizing. Plus he has shampoo, conditioner and shampoo with conditioner depending on his mood for the day..."

Max laughs. "Wow, Cody...I had no idea."

Cody sighs. "There is nothing wrong in wanting to look good and take care of my body..."

Bailey pats his shoulder. "Its okay, Sweetie..."

Max agrees. "She's right, Cody...A lot of guys have gone metro nowadays..."

"I'm not metro! I just take care of myself..."

Both Bailey and Max are laughing. Bailey smiles. "Cody, it doesn't matter. Whatever you are, I love you."

"Thanks, Sweetie..."

Max shakes her head. "This still blows my mind that Cody is engaged. I never saw that coming..."

"Well, he's my prince charming. Everything I could ever want."

Cody smiled at her. "I feel the exact same way..."

Max laughs. "I just remember Zack was the ladies man of the two..."

Bailey turns to her. "From personal experience, right?"

Max smiles. "We all do our stupid things when we're young..."

"I know what you mean..."

"I will warn you thought. Be careful with Cody on a dance floor. He had to take Zack's place once in a dance contest with me and caused us to be disqualified..."

Cody shrugs. "Not my finest moment..."

"You had really bad luck with dances early on, didn't you, Codykins?"

"Maybe, but my luck changed when a certain corn queen told me she loved me at another..."

Max interrupted them. "What other bad luck did you have?"

Cody turned to Bailey and then to Max. "You wouldn't believe us if we told you..."

Max just looked at him in question. "Okay..."

Bailey turned to her. "Lets just say Cody showed me what lengths he would go to for me..."

"So, when are you two getting married?"

"We haven't decided that yet. I mean, we live together, we are committed to each other, and we want to spend the rest of our lives together. I don't need a ceremony to prove what my heart already knows..."

"Have you thought about where you will get married?"

Cody nods. "We have thought about that. As you can imagine, Bailey's family is thinking Kettlecorn and my Mom is hoping for Boston. But, we thought it would be fitting to have it on the S.S. Tipton. It is where me met and fell in love..." Cody laughs. "Maybe even have Moseby officiate it..."

Bailey lights up. "That's a great idea!"

Max looks at them both. "Moseby?"

Cody chuckles. "Oh yeah. Moseby was the S.S. Tipton's manager. He even jumped off the ship our first day on board because he found out Zack and I were going to school there..."

"He could never remember my name, and I'm still not sure he knew I was a girl..."

Bailey laughed. "I know that feeling..."

As they were talking, they were interrupted by the doorbell. Cody got up to answer it, and returned a few minutes later.

Bailey turned to him. "Who was that?"

"It was campus security. They just wanted to check in to see if everything was okay..."

Bailey nods, but Max is curious now.

"Why would campus security be checking in with you guys?"

Cody and Bailey turn to each other and Cody shrugs. Bailey looks at Max.

"We have a situation going on that they are keeping an eye on..."

"What's going on?"

Cody sighs. "You remember us telling you about Theo back in Boston?"

"The spoiled rich kid?"

"Yeah, him. Well, he's here at Yale too and has threatened to make our lives a living hell..."

"Why would he do that?"

"Back in Boston, he enjoyed tormenting me..."

Bailey joins in. "And he tried flirting with me, and I rejected him flat. Later on, he grabbed my wrist and I ended up slapping him..."

"What's his problem?"

Bailey sighs. "My theory is that he is trying to overcompensate for coming up short elsewhere..."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Cody shakes his head. "Probably best if you don't. You don't want to get on his bad side either. We had someone try to break into our place last night, and we're pretty sure he's behind it, but we have no proof..."

"He doesn't know me though. He doesn't know that I'm friends with you both. Maybe I can find out something useful for you?"

Bailey smiles. "We appreciate it, we really do. But Cody's right. You don't want to get yourself into any trouble when you don't have to. Besides, we've had to deal with our fair share of...idiots before. We'll take care of it."

Max nods. "Well, if you change your mind, let me know. I mean, if it weren't for you two, I don't know what I do around here."

Cody smiled. "Max, we're old friends. You're always welcome here."

Max pauses. "You know, Cody...You are a lot more...intimidating than you used to be. Why not just teach him a lesson the old fashioned way?"

Bailey smiled. "Because I won't let him. I don't want him doing anything that could risk him being expelled."

Cody grins. "And I've learned not to get on Bailey's bad side..."

Max nods. They finish dinner and hang out some more before Max says she has to be getting back to her dorm to finish some homework. She thanks them again, and they tell her to drop by anytime. Max gathers up her purse and backpack and heads back to her dorm. However, as she is walking back across campus. She happens to notice Theo sitting at an outdoor cafe. She knew Cody and Bailey had told her not to get involved, but she knew they didn't deserve what he was doing to them. So, as she stood there, an idea began to formulate in her mind.

_To be Continued..._


	7. Going Undercover

_Chapter 7_

_Again, I don't own any of these characters_

Cody and Bailey finished up the dishes and went back into the living room to relax. As they sat back on the couch, Bailey laid her head on Cody's shoulder.

"This feels nice..."

"Yeah, it does."

"Cody?"

"Yeah, Bails..."

"I've been thinking..."

"About what?"

"Maybe there is something we can do about Theo..."

"I'm all ears."

"Well, Mr. Tipton said if we ever got into any trouble to give him a call..."

"Yeah, that crossed my mind too..."

"If Theo has so many resources, maybe we should fight fire with fire..."

Cody sighs. "I know that makes sense, but I'd prefer not to..."

Bailey looks up at him. "Why not?"

"Bails, we've only been on our own for about a month now. I'd feel like I failed if we had to run for help this soon..."

"Failed what?"

"My job of taking care of you..."

"Cody, you do take care of me. You always have. Do I have to mention Tokyo and everything with Moose?"

"That was different though..."

"How so?"

"We were still in school, but we still had Moseby and our families to fall back on. But now, I'm your fiance and future husband. We're out on our own now, and I should be able to take care of us..."

"But aren't you the one when dealing with Moose was ready to use all of the resources at hand including using Mr. Tipton's capabilities?"

"I know. But to me, that was different. I mean, if I can't take care of this now, what happens in the future when we have kids? If I can't take care of my family when its just you and me, why should I think I will be able to then?"

"They will have us both to take care of them. And its not just your job to take care of me. Its my job to take care of you too. Its our job to take care of each other."

"That's all I'm trying to do, Bails..."

Bailey looked into Cody's eyes. "I know you are. And there is no one I trust with my life more than you. I know you would do whatever it took. But I also know you are smart enough to know when you are in over your head. Cody, there's no shame in asking for help when you need it."

Cody sighs. "I know. I guess I'm doing it for my own self confidence so I know I can do it. It may sound macho or I'm doing it to prove I'm a man, and there may be some truth to that. But Theo was a bully that I never stood up to. I was very non-confrontational and didn't want to rock the boat. But, now, he's already rocked it and I don't want to back down again. I know it probably doesn't make any sense..."

Bailey smiled. "It makes sense to me. Its kind of like how I was with the hurricane. I let it get to me at first because of the tornado, but I had to make myself deal with it..."

Cody smiled. "Thank you for understanding...That's one of reasons I love you so much. You get me."

"And you get me too. But remember, I was able to overcome the hurricane because I had you there to help me. And I'm here to help you too. We're a team, remember."

"I know...and an unbeatable one at that."

Meanwhile, across campus. Max has walked into the outdoor cafe and taken a seat at an open table. She ordered a hot beverage from the waitress and pulled out her textbook to do some studying. If Theo is anything like she thinks he is, he will be unable to resist approaching her. So, she just focused on the textbook in front of her.

Soon, her gamble paid off.

"European History, huh?"

Max looked up and saw Theo standing on the other side of her table. She smiled. "Yeah, one of those pre-requisites I have to take..."

"Don't you just love those?"

"Every Tuesday and Thursday..."

Theo laughs. "I see you are by yourself, may I join you?"

"Please..." She grins. "Anything is a welcome distraction from the Hundred Years War..."

"I'm not sure if I should be offended by that or not..."

"Your choice..."

"I think I will give myself some time to decide..."

Max could definitely see how some people would think he was a charmer. If she didn't know what a disgusting creep he already was, she thought she could have fallen under his spell herself. But, she knew exactly who he was and continued to play along.

"That sounds so...Yale. Not rushing to a judgment and giving yourself the time to find out the truth..."

Theo laughed. "That's why I'm here. So, where are you from?"

"Philly..."

"Boston here originally..."

Max decides to try something and sighs. "There's more of you here?"

"I take it you've met more of us?"

"Just a couple and they have gotten on my nerves beyond belief..."

"Well, we aren't all that bad...I promise..."

Max thinks to herself that he is definitely one of the bad ones. "If you say so..."

"May I ask if you caught any names? I may know them."

"No, just met them in my orientation group. One is a blond guy, kind of tall. The other is a blondish brunette girl who talks with a country accent. Neither one would shut up!"

Theo nods. "I think I know exactly who you are talking about."

"Friends of yours?"

"Of course not. Personally, I'd love to get rid of the both of them..."

Max sighs. "That would be nice. Turns out they're in one of my classes too. Both constantly ask the professor questions..."

Theo smiles. "Well, if there is any justice in this world, we'll both be done with them soon..."

"From your lips to God's ears..."

Theo laughs. "I like that..."

Max smiles. "Well, I am here at Yale, aren't I?"

"True. You know, I haven't caught your name yet."

Max pauses. "Lex. Well, really Alexis, but I hate that name..."

"I know how you feel. I was named Theodore after my grandfather, but went by Theo when I was younger. But now, I prefer to be called Teddy..."

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: If you haven't read Senior Year, this chapter may not make the sense it should.**_  
_


	8. Knowing Your Enemy

_Chapter 8_

_Again, I don't own any of these characters_

"So, Teddy, huh? Like the bear?"

Theo grins. "That's me."

"And whose word do I have on that?"

"Mine. Let me take you out sometime and let you find out firsthand."

"Hmmm...I don't know. How can I be sure there isn't a girlfriend back in Boston waiting for you?"

"Touche. All I can say is that there isn't..."

"I'll think about it..."

"What's there to think about?"

"Well, the fact that I just met you like 15 minutes ago..."

"Sometimes you just have to go with your gut..."

"Yet you are the one who said he needed time to decide if what I said was a compliment or not..."

Theo laughed. "Alright, I've finally got a sharp one here. I like that..."

"Trying to tell me something about your exes?"

Theo paused. "I would rather not get into them..."

"That's too bad. They say you can tell a lot about a guy by talking to his exes."

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Well, how you treat them is an indication of how you treat women in general..."

Theo nods. "I can see that...But, my last ex was a real head case..."

Max laughs. "Oh really?"

"Well, she was one of those who was so into the pageant world...That kind is always a little off."

"As in beauty pageants?"

"Exactly..."

"So, what happened?"

"She was crazy. I couldn't tell from one day to the other who I was going to be talking to. Finally, I just couldn't take anymore..."

Max nodded in sympathy, but didn't buy his story for a moment.

"Tell you what. As much as I don't want to, I really do need to get back to my room to do some studying. I have a late class tomorrow night, but maybe we can meet Friday afternoon back here and talk some more?"

"Sounds good. Say about 7:00?"

Max smiles. "Perfect..."

With that Max gathers her things and heads on back to her dorm.

The next day, Cody and Bailey have just finished their Biology lab and have come home.

Bailey laughs. "That was a waste of two hours..."

"Tell me about it. Do they think we've never used a microscope before?"

"Especially the 15 minutes the TA spent teaching us how to focus it..."

"And it was like some people in there had never heard of an amoeba or paramecium before..."

"I know...And our lab report was ridiculous..."

Cody paused. "I won't complain though. Until this thing with Theo is settled, I'm glad we can kind of take it easy for a while."

"That's a good point..." Bailey is interrupted by the ringing of their doorbell. She goes over to answer it and finds Jo standing there.

"I just wanted to stop by to check in on you two."

Bailey smiled. "We appreciate that, but we're doing alright."

Jo smiles. "Good. I also wanted to let you both know that security was beefed up around here this morning. Motion sensor lights were added as well as motion sensor cameras. If anyone tries to break in again, they won't get very far."

Cody smiles. "Thank you, we appreciate that."

"Well, we feel bad that these weren't already in place."

"You have nothing to feel bad about. There hasn't been a moment that we've felt unsafe here."

"Cody's right. I've never been worried in least. Besides, turns out Porkers is a pretty good watch pig."

Jo laughs. "I never thought I'd see one of those..."

Bailey smiles. "Well, he's very smart..."

"Well, I just wanted to let you both know what the new changes were so if you came home one night and the lights came on."

"We appreciate that."

Jo left and Cody and Bailey proceeded to do their homework for the next day's classes. After they finished, they both began preparing dinner again. Cody turned to Bailey.

"You know, maybe we should take a lesson from what Jo and Bill did..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if Theo tries to do anything to the house now, we'll know. And since the SUV is out back, it will be covered by the cameras too..."

"Yeah..."

"Well, that leaves the only things we have to keep our eyes really open on are our persons and what we carry with ourselves..."

"You mean like our backpacks and my purse?"

"Precisely. Probably a good idea to never let them out our sights..."

"What do you think Theo would do with them?"

Cody paused. "I don't know, but I would rather not find out..."

Just then, they hear a knock at their back door. Cody and Bailey look at each other wondering who in the world it could be now. Cody goes over to answer it and finds Max.

"Max? Why are you coming to our back door?"

"In case someone followed me..."

Cody and Bailey look at each other again. "Why would someone be following you?"

Max pauses. "Look, I know you two told me not to get involved, but I couldn't help myself..."

Cody groans. "What did you do?"

"I saw Theo at an outdoor cafe. So, I sat down to see if he would try to hit on me..."

"Did he?"

Max smiled. "Oh, he tried alright..."

Cody sighed. "Max, you shouldn't have done that. This could end up backfiring on you."

"Its okay, I didn't give him my real name. He thinks I'm a girl named Lex..."

Bailey paused. "Did you learn anything?"

"Well, he does have plans to get rid of you two."

Cody nodded. "We kind of figured as much..."

"And he thinks he is God's gift to women..."

Bailey shuddered. "I got the same vibe from him..."

"Anyways, I made it seem like I don't like you guys either. I'm supposed to meet him Friday at the coffee place I met him. I might be able to get him to tell me what he has planned."

Cody and Bailey looked at each other. "What do you think?"

Cody shook his head. "I don't like it..."

Max tried to cheer them up. "Trust me, he likes me. He was even willing to tell me about his ex-girlfriend, the beauty pageant diva..."

"Huh?"

"And get this. According to him, its no longer Theo anymore...Its Teddy."

Both Cody and Bailey's eyes grew wide and the both just looked at each other.

_To be Continued..._


	9. Verification

_Chapter 9_

_Again, I don't own any of these characters_

Cody and Bailey continued to just look at each other. Both were thinking the exact same thing but were praying that they were wrong. Because if they were right, everything had just changed. Max was just watching the two in front of her swearing they were having a conversation without actually speaking. Finally, Bailey spoke.

"Cody..."

"I know..."

"Please tell me its not what we're both thinking."

"I hope to God we're wrong..."

Max interrupted. "Would you two care to fill me in on whatever it is you hope you're wrong about?"

Cody turned to her. "We think we know this so called beauty pageant diva..."

"And?"

"And if its who we think it is, Theo or Teddy is a whole lot more dangerous than we initially thought..."

"In what way?"

"Well, if we're right, Teddy as he likes to be called was physically abusive to this girl and even tried to rape her..."

Max stood there stunned. "Oh my God..."

Bailey nodded. "Yeah..."

Max paused. "Is there anyway to find out for sure?"

Cody paused. "Well, I could call her I suppose. But, I hate that it would bring back bad memories to her..."

Bailey turned to him. "You still have her number?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah..."

"Why?"

Cody shrugged. "I never got around to erasing it. It's not like I've talked to her since. Besides, isn't it a good thing I still have it right now?"

Bailey paused. "I suppose..."

"Look, I promise to erase it later or you can even erase it if you want, but right now we need her to verify this for us."

Bailey sighed. "Fine..."

Cody paused. "Wait. How am I supposed to get her to verify its him without showing her what Theo looks like?"

The three look at each other before Bailey speaks up. "Wouldn't there be a picture of him online somewhere?"

Cody grins. "That's brilliant, Bails!"

Cody immediately grabs his laptop and begins searching. Fortunately, he finds a recent photo taken at Theo's graduation. Cody pulls out his phone and searches for Rebecca's number. Once he found it, he dialed. As a second thought, he pushed his speakerphone button.

"_Hello?"_

"Rebecca? Its me, Cody Martin..."

"_Cody? I never expected to hear from you again. I thought when I left the ship it would be the last time I ever talked to you..."_

Cody looks up at Bailey to make sure she heard that part. "So did I, but I need your help with something."

"_After what I did, I will do anything I can to help..."_

"Do you have access to the internet handy?"

"_Yeah, I'm at my computer...Why?"_

"I need you to go to a website for me..." Cody proceeds to give her the website he found. "Are you there yet?"

"_Its loading..."_ Then there is nothing but silence.

"Rebecca?"

Still more silence.

"Rebecca? Are you there?"

"_Cody...Why are you doing this to me?"_

"Do you recognize the person in that picture?"

"_Of course I do! That's Teddy!"_

Cody looks at Bailey and Max. "We were afraid of that..."

"_What are you talking about?"_

"Its a long story, but the short of it is I know Teddy or rather it was Theo when I knew him. He's a student here at Yale, and he seems to have a grudge against Bailey and I. Certain things came to our attention that made us think Theo and Teddy were the same person. I'm sorry for bringing up bad memories for you, but we needed to confirm that..."

"_That's him...What are you going to do?"_

Cody paused. "I don't know yet..."

"_Well, if there is anything I can do to help, just let me know. I would love to get some revenge on that SOB..."_

"We'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Rebecca."

Cody pressed end and turned back to Bailey and Max. "I'm afraid this changes everything..."

Max paused. "In what way?"

"Instead of rich kid who has a grudge, we have a potential psychopath..."

Bailey sighed. "Which means we have no idea of how far he'll go..."

Cody nods. "Exactly..." He turns to Max. "If I were you, I wouldn't show up tomorrow afternoon."

"But wouldn't standing hip up piss him off even more?"

"Cody, she's right..."

Cody paused to think. "But, we know how dangerous he is. I'd feel like Max was walking right into the lion's den. I'd be more comfortable if there was someone there to keep an eye on things."

Max turned to him. "Like who? It can't be you two. The sight of you two would just agitate him and make him want to leave..."

Cody sighed. "You're right...And I don't know of anyone other students here I trust..."

Bailey paused. "What about if Zack could come down?"

Cody shook his head. "Theo and Zack didn't exactly part on good terms either..."

"Woody?"

Cody paused. "That could work...if Woody is available..."

"I think its our only chance..."

Cody nods. "Alright, I'll make the call..." Before he does, he turns to Max. "You better get out of here too. If Theo finds out you are hanging out here, he won't be happy..."

Max nods. "Good point. Alright, I'll head out the back and cut back around to get back to my dorm..."

"Call one of us when you get back to your dorm so we know you got back safely..."

Max nods, and slips out the back door.

Cody is about to dial a number when Bailey stops him.

"Cody, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For getting upset when I found out you still had her number..."

Cody smiled. "Its okay. I should have erased it, but then the hurricane hit and I forgot to."

Bailey smiled. "I know. I'm sorry I acted a little jealous for a minute."

"You have no reason to be jealous of anything. When I put that ring on your finger, its because you are the only one I will ever want..."

"And I accepted that ring because you're the only one I will ever want..."

"Good...but right now, we have a phone call to make..."

Cody pulls out his cell phone and dials.

"Zack, is Woody there with you? Good, we need your help..."

_To be Continued..._


	10. An Idea

_Chapter 10_

_Again, I don't own any of these characters_

The next afternoon, Max found herself sitting at the same outdoor cafe she had ran into Theo before. She has one of her textbooks out to make it look like she is busy. Sitting at the table behind her is Cassie and Addison. As Max continues to skim through her textbook, she in interrupted.

"There you are..."

Max looks up and sees Theo and tries to cover the shiver going down her spine. "Hey..."

"I was afraid you wouldn't show up."

"I said I'd be here..."

"Well, why don't we get out of here and go do something..."

Max smiled. "I wish I could, but I can't..."

Theo frowned. "Why not?"

"I got a call last night from my cousin. He's stopping in town tonight, and its been a long time since I've seen him. I hope you understand..."

"Sure. Family always comes first. So, what have you been up to the past two days..."

"Studying and going to class... And trying not to strangle your fellow Bostonians..."

Theo laughs. "Still annoying you?"

"Oh, they're getting worse. I think they are intent on destroying the curve now too..."

"Maybe there is something I can do to help?"

Max laughs. "I'm all ears..."

"Don't worry about the details..."

"So I can deny knowing anything?"

Theo laughs. "Exactly..."

"As long as they are gone, I'm good with that..."

About that time, Woody comes walking along.

"Lex, there you are!"

Max stand up and hugs Woody. "Teddy, this is my cousin, Willy. Willy, this is a new friend of mine, Teddy."

Woody shakes Theo's hand. "Nice to meet you."

Max turns to Theo. "I hate to run so soon..."

Theo shrugs. "No worries. How about we meet again her next week. Let's say Tuesday?"

"Sure. How about 5:00?"

"Its a date..."

Max nods and heads off with Woody. After giving them enough time, Addison and Cassie get up and leave as well. Everyone met back at Cody and Bailey's place.

In the kitchen, Cassie and Bailey are talking.

"How are you holding up?"

Bailey sighed. "You know, you would think I would be used to having someone out to get me by now..."

Cassie smiled. "I know, but no one has succeeded yet..."

"I guess that's the silver lining..."

"Why not call in help like London's dad?"

"Cody doesn't want to unless we have to..."

"Why not? It would be over and done with..."

"Cody wants to be able to do this on our own...As a way to show that we can take care of ourselves."

"And what do you think about that?"

"I understand why he wants to do it this way. And despite what he says, I think he still wants to prove to me that he is a real man."

Cassie was confused. "I'm pretty sure he's already showed that..."

"I know. But to him, its different now that we are out on our own..."

Cassie just shook her head. "Guys..."

Bailey laughed. "I know. But, at least his heart is in the right place..."

Cassie smiled. "That's why we keep putting up with them..."

Bailey smiled. "That and the fact we love them..."

Cassie paused. "You think they talk the same way about us?"

"Probably..."

Meanwhile, in the living room, Zack is sitting on the couch with his brother.

Zack stares at his brother. "Why didn't you call me when this first came up?"

"I thought I could take care of it..."

"Well, what are you going to do about it now?"

Cody paused. "I don't know..."

"Well, he's made it clear that he's going to try to get you and Bailey kicked out of here..."

"That I am aware of. All I can think to do is take it to campus security so they know he's making further threats..."

Zack sighs. "And after what he tried to do to Rebecca, do you really think he's all that concerned with campus security?"

"Probably not..."

"Then you need to take matters into your own hands..."

"Zack, I can't. I promised Bailey I wouldn't."

"You need to think of something then..."

"Don't you think I know that? But every time I try, I come up with nothing..."

"Well, you already know what he tried to do with Rebecca, maybe there is something there?"

"Zack, even if she went to the police now, its a he said she said and you know Theo would have the best lawyer he could..."

"Take it out of a lawyer's hands then..."

"The only way I could do that would be to get him to confess, and I seriously doubt he's going to say something that will end up with him going to prison for a long time..."

"Of course he's not going to directly. But, remember what you came up with to deal with Moose in Kettlecorn..."

"Bluff him? What if he calls our bluff?"

Zack grins. "Make sure you do it in a way that he won't..."

Cody paused to think. "I don't know..."

"Go after his weaknesses..."

"His weaknesses..." Cody paused and smiled. "Wait a minute...I have an idea..."

Zack smiled. "About time...Let's hear it..."

Cody grinned. "I'm going to need Max's help, but here's my idea..."


	11. The Plan and Initial Confrontation

_Chapter 11_

_Again, I don't own any of these characters_

After Cody explained his idea to Bailey, they spent the rest of the weekend preparing to implement it. However, a phone call they got from Bill made them alter their plan completely. They called Rebecca and explained what they were going to do, and she wished them the best of luck with it. Following that, they called Max to get her to do them a small favor. She immediately agreed, and they spent Saturday setting up what they needed to do. They treated Sunday as a normal day, and did their homework and then some time just being together.

On Monday, they went to their classes as normal and came home. Neither were surprised to find Murray Morris waiting on them when they got home.

"What can we do for you, Captain Morris?"

"Well, we received an anonymous tip this morning that we would find a copy of a stolen Economics test in both of your possession..."

Cody turned to Bailey and smiled. "I don't have a stolen test, do you?"

Bailey smiled. "Not that I'm aware of..."

Cody turned back to Murray. "We don't have it, sir."

Murray just stared at them both. "You two are both acting way too calm and collected..."

"Well, when you're innocent, you have nothing to worry about..."

"Would you two mind if looked in your book bags?"

Bailey smiled again. "Not at all. You can check my purse too..."

Captain Morris did a thorough search of their belongings and found nothing.

"Alright, I guess you two don't have it on you after all..."

Cody grinned. "But we may have an idea where to find the missing exam though..."

Murray just stared at them in confusion. "Huh?"

"Come on inside..."

Murray followed them inside. Cody walked over to his laptop that he had hidden under the couch.

"You see, Captain Morris, we told you about Theo's most recent threats. Well, it dawned on me that he would try something to get Bailey and I expelled from the university. The surest way to do that is to get us caught for cheating. But, since neither Bailey nor I would ever do anything like that, we knew he would take matters into his own hands."

Cody opened his cell phone and made a quick call and after a few minutes hung up.

"Our landlords set up some motion cameras outside after the first attempted break in. Seems there was another one today. However, it was successful and completely caught on the cameras. I was just calling our landlord who also happens the be the professor the exam was stolen from. He let me know when the break in occurred."

Cody clicks a couple of buttons on his laptop. "You see, this weekend, Bailey and I set up a couple of webcams around the apartment to record everything while we were gone. Once I found out when the break in occurred, I just have to forward to those times to find out what happened."

And with that, Cody hands his laptop to Captain Morris who views the footage. And he sees someone coming in the backdoor and then move to their home office and stuffs something in their desk.

When Murray looked up, Cody smiled. "I assume you saw what you needed to see..."

He nods. "Yeah, but I have to tell you, I didn't see Theo on this..."

"We didn't think you would. But I bet if you find who it is, they will be willing to rat out Theo for a reduced sentence..."

Captain Morris nods. "You seem to know your stuff..."

"Now, did the person in the video have gloves on?"

"No, he didn't..."

Cody smiled. "It worked then..."

"What worked?"

"We added some adhesive to the back door. I assume the perps gloves are still stuck to it..."

Murray just laughed. "Pure brilliance..."

"Then I assume there are probably fingerprints on the exam and probably the backdoor...Maybe even DNA"

Murray smiles. "Kirby told me you guys were smart, but wow..."

Cody smiled at Bailey. "I guess my membership in the Boston Holmies paid off again, huh?"

Bailey laughs. "I suppose. But, I do enjoy having such a brilliant fiance..."

Murray laughs. "Have you guys already ran the fingerprints too?"

"Of course not...We do have classes to go to..."

Bailey nods. "And if you need him, I'm sure Porkers will be able to ID the perpetrator too. We kept him in his cage all day to be safe, but he was in our home office."

"Well, I need to get my meager CSI unit over here..."

"What do you need us to do?"

"Is there anywhere you guys can go for a couple of hours?"

"Sure, we can head over to the library and do our homework...Would you like me to email you the clips from the webcams?"

"Please."

For the next couple of hours, Cody and Bailey hit the library while the CSI team did their thing. When Cody and Bailey returned later that night, Captain Morris had some news for them.

"Well, you were right, there were a ton of fingerprints..."

Cody turned to Bailey and back to Murray. "If you can, don't be too quick in identifying and apprehending the suspect..."

Captain Morris looked confused. "Why would you want that?"

"Because the quicker you bust whoever it was, the sooner Theo knows his plan didn't work. And we have class with him tomorrow. I'm almost positive he will be unable to resist gloating to us..."

"And you want him to do that?"

Cody smiled. "Precisely..."

Murray just stared at him. "I'll give you 24 hours, but if we find out who it is, and he tries to flee, we're bringing him in..."

"Understood..."

"What are you going to do about your backdoor? Its already been compromised once..."

"Our landlords are adding new heavy duty deadbolts to all doors tomorrow..."

"And tonight?"

Cody shrugged. "I'll just stay up to make sure."

Murray shakes his head. "No need to do all of that. I'll have one of my men stand guard out there. Besides, you both need your sleep. I have a feeling you two have a plan that's going to keep me on my toes..."

The next morning, Cody and Bailey went to class as usual. They arrived early for their chemistry lab, and took their seats and got their work station set up early. As expected, Theo showed up early as well. That day had been kind of strange for him. It was almost as if everyone had been avoiding him like the plague. But, seeing Cody and Bailey, he shook it off and strolled over to them.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite Nerd Boy and his Little Wifey..."

"What do you want, Theo?"

"I was listening on the police scanner and heard that campus security was looking for you two. I hope everything is alright..."

Cody smirked. "Yeah, they were. And they found us. After they talked to us, they were satisfied that they didn't need to talk to us anymore. Turns out it was a mistake..."

Theo paused. It shouldn't have been a mistake. He mentally kicked himself for hiring an incompetent to do the job. Well, he vowed he wouldn't make that mistake again.

Bailey smiled. "You know, I'm actually kind of surprised to see you here today, Theo..."

"And why is that?"

"I just figured you wouldn't have the...fortitude to walk on campus today considering..."

Theo was growing impatient. "Considering what?"

Bailey pulled a folded piece of paper out of her purse. "Considering this..."

Theo snatched it out of her hands and opened it. As he read it, his eyes opened in surprise. There was his picture on in it surrounded by the words. "WARNING LADIES! AVOID THIS MAN! HE IS A KNOWN SEXUAL PREDATOR!"

Theo wadded the paper up in outrage. "This is a total and complete lie!"

Cody smirked at him. "Well, you know...I don't think Rebecca would agree with that. Do you?"

Theo just stared at Cody.

_To be Continued..._


	12. The Explanation

_Chapter 12_

_Again, I don't own any of these characters_

Theo could only stand there staring at Cody. How had he known about Rebecca? Theo knew now why people had been avoiding him all day. Those flyers must be posted all over campus by now. And he immediately knew the implications. No longer would he be able to charm any girl he fancied. His remaining time at Yale would be like living at a monastery. Theo was not happy about that at all. And the duo in front of him just kept smirking at him. They thought they had beaten him. Well, he would show them once and for all. But before he could say anything, the rest of the students and the TA began filing into the the classroom.

Theo quietly took his place and began to sulk. He knew his time at Yale was probably done, but it enraged him that he would have to run away. His lab partner had seen the fliers too, and as much as he wanted to avoid him, he had his lab work to do. But Theo was of no use. He just kept staring at Cody and Bailey feeling his blood boil.

Soon enough, class was over and Cody and Bailey slipped out quickly and were gone. Theo gathered his backpack and went back to his place. The entire way, he could see people pointing at him and running in the other direction. This did nothing but continue to drive him crazy. It was then that he remembered he was supposed to meet Lex in a little bit. Back at his place, he changed clothes and put on a baseball cap and sunglasses. He then tried to slipped back across campus as inconspicuous as possible.

He arrived at the cafe, but saw no sign of Lex anywhere. He was about to turn around and leave, when a large waiter came over to him.

"Are you Teddy?"

Theo nodded.

"This is for you..." And the man handed him a folded piece of paper.

Theo opened it and read it.

_Teddy,_

_I'm glad I found out about the real you sooner rather than later. Never try to talk to me ever again!_

_Lex_

Theo sighed and crumpled the piece of paper and noticed the large waiter was still standing there.

"What?"

"We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone, and to be honest, you aren't the type of person we want in our establishment."

Theo stormed out not quite sure where he was going to go.

Back and Cody and Bailey's apartment, they were sitting in the living room with Max.

"Cody, where in the world did you come up with this idea?"

Cody smiled. "I owe Zack the credit for giving me the idea and a movie Bailey and I watched this summer..."

"Zack?"

"Yeah, he reminded me that if you want to take down a more powerful opponent, you have to hit him where it hurts the most."

Bailey smiled. "Just like we did with Moose and his ego..."

Max was confused. "Who is Moose?"

Bailey gave her the basics on who Moose was and everything he had done to try to come between her and Cody.

"Do you really think he has changed?"

Bailey shrugged. "Don't know, but I don't really care..."

Max turned back to Cody. "But where did you ever come up with the idea to use my roommate like that?"

Cody smiled. "From you and that movie I mentioned. This summer, we were feeling like getting into the college spirit, so we watched some college movies. One of them was PCU. That popped into my head, and I remembered what you said about your roommate. You said she hated all men, so I figured she would really hate a man who had physically assaulted and attempted to rape someone. I also figured she probably wasn't the only one around here who thought like she did and was probably part of an organization..."

Max nodded. "Okay, that makes sense. But, what about the stolen exam?"

Bailey smiled. "The economics professor that it was stolen from is also our landlord. He and his wife have known all along about Theo's vendetta, and he called to warn us about it the stolen exam..."

"So, you laid your own trap instead..."

"Exactly..."

"So, what happens next? Do you really think Theo is just going to give up?"

Cody grinned. "While that would be nice, we have no such expectations..."

"You have another plan, don't you?"

This time, Bailey grinned. "Something like that..."

Cody got up and went into the kitchen and brought something back to give to Max.

"Here, keep this on you just in case..."

Max looked at the container Cody had given her. "Bear Repellant? You still carry this stuff around?"

Cody smiled. "Hey, it works. It's saved my butt several times..."

"You can't be serious..."

Bailey nods. "Its true. Believe me, at first, I was skeptical too, but now I don't go anywhere without a can in my purse too..."

"How did it save your butt?"

Cody and Bailey quickly explain to her what happened in Tokyo and then with Josh.

Max could only look on in shock. "You were shot?"

Cody nods. "Yeah..."

Bailey immediately grabs Cody's hand. "It was the scariest moment of my life. I thought I might have lost him forever..."

Max can only shake her head. "Alright, I'll keep it on me..." She paused. "So, what do you think Theo will do next?"

"I don't know. But, unless I've missed my guess, he's going to come at us with both barrels blazing..."

"Why would you want him to do that?"

Cody grinned. "Simple. Someone that angry is due to screw up. Besides, we have that covered..."

"But what if he tries to get back by trying to hurt Bailey?"

Bailey smiled. "I can take care of myself..."

Cody nodded. "That she can, but if Theo lays one finger on her, I will kill him myself..."

Meanwhile, Theo is still walking around trying to figure out what to do next. He hated to admit that Cody and Bailey seemed to be one step ahead of him no matter what he did. Plus, they were probably still very cautious and ready to expect anything. He knew had to act fast and act big, but he couldn't think of anything he could do that he thought he could get away with.

He found himself coming to a stop just down the street from where Cody and Bailey lived. Part of him wanted to rush inside and pound away on Cody Martin. But, he knew that would be stupid. Cody wasn't the same little wimp he used to be, and Theo wasn't crazy about his chances in an altercation.

But then Theo saw something that made him absolutely livid. There was Lex walking out of their front door. She had been playing him for a fool. Well, he couldn't figure out how to get back and Cody and Bailey right now, but he sure could teach that little wench a lesson.

_To be Continued..._


	13. And Act of Desperation

_Chapter 13_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody and Bailey just sat back on their couch taking a well deserved breather. Cody turned to Bailey and smiled.

"You know, once this is all over, we need to take some time just for ourselves..."

Bailey smiled back at him. "What do you have in mind?"

Cody paused. "How does a day in New York City sound?"

"And what would we do there?"

"Anything you want..."

"Like a broadway show?"

"Just name the one you want to see..."

Bailey snuggled closer to Cody. "I like the sound of that...But, what brought this on?"

Cody sighed. "I just know lately we've been so focused on dealing with Theo that we haven't had any real time for ourselves. I know we're engaged now, but I still want to romance you..."

Bailey teased him. "So, I still get the romance even with the ring on my finger?"

"Of course you do. I promise you will always get it. And if you feel you aren't getting enough, smack me upside the back of the head and tell me..."

Bailey smiled. "Something tells me that won't be a problem at all..."

Cody leaned in to kiss Bailey when they were interrupted by a knock at the door.

Cody sighed. "I thought we wouldn't get interrupted anymore with our own place..."

Bailey laughed. "Its okay, Codykins. We have plenty of time later."

Cody got up off the couch, checked the peephole and opened the door.

"Captain Morris, please come in. What can we do for you today?"

Murray paused. "We have some news for you...We've found out who it was that broke into your place. We caught him trying to go to the bus station this morning. We had to move fast and go ahead and bring him in..."

Cody nods. "So, what comes next?"

"We had detectives talking to him and trying to get information. However, he asked to call his lawyer, so we had to stop. But he didn't call his lawyer, he called our boy Theo. Well, there was no answer, so our perp decided he wanted to talk after all..."

"And?"

"You were right. He sang like a bird..." Murray grinned.

Bailey looked at him. "There's more, isn't there?"

"You bet there is. This guy wasn't as dumb as he looked. He had recorded every conversation he had with Theo plus granted us access to his bank account so we could follow the wire transfer. And it lead us right to Theo..."

"So, I take it you are looking for Theo right now?"

"We are. And about an hour ago, a judge signed off on an arrest warrant and a warrant for us to search Theo's residence..."

"What are you hoping to find?"

Murray smiles. "We'll know when we get there..."

Bailey paused. "So, what do you want us to do?"

"Just lock yourselves in here. Until we have Theo in custody, he could still be a threat to the both of you."

Cody and Bailey nodded. "We will."

"I hope this goes without saying, but if Theo does show up here, call me immediately."

"Definitely."

"Alright, you two take care of each other..."

And with that, Captain Morris leaves and Cody and Bailey lock up behind him.

Bailey turned to Cody. "So, what should we do?"

"Well, we could do our reading, but I'm not sure I will be able to concentrate until we hear something..."

"Me either..."

Cody paused. "Well, we could pull out the Wii and waste time on some video games..."

Bailey smiled. "Pick your poison, Codykins..."

Cody smiled back. "Mariokart at twenty paces..."

"It is so on!"

Meanwhile, across campus, Theo is following Max back to her dorm. Since they were in broad daylight, he just couldn't jump her and grab her. So, instead, he just kept his distance, but he kept her in sight.

As Max got to the front of her dorm, she ran into her roommate coming outside.

"Hey Max, what's up?"

"Not too much, Betty. What are you up to tonight?"

"We're protesting the University President's house to get him to do something about that creep..."

Theo was hiding behind a bush just taking everything in. So, her name is actually Max he thought to himself.

Max smiled. "I wish you luck then. We don't need guys like that around campus at all..."

Betty shrugged. "If it was up to me, we wouldn't need men around at all, period!"

"Awww, come on, they aren't all bad..."

"Name one who is isn't..."

"I can name you several. I have a friend named Cody who goes here to Yale too. His brother goes to UCONN and they have a friend named Woody. All three of those are really great guys..."

"So you say..."

"They are. Cody is even engaged, and his fiance thinks he hung the moon..."

"He's probably just leading her on or something..."

Max smiled. "Not a chance of that. You should see how he looks at her. There is nothing but pure love and devotion there..."

"Max, all men are scum. Just look at this jerk we're protesting tonight..."

"I agree, he deserves everything that happens to him. But, there are some really good ones out there. I know, I'm looking for one myself..."

"Max, I just think you are fooling yourself..."

Max sighed. "I tell you what. I'll see if Cody and Bailey will have us over for dinner one night and prove my point to you..."

Betty pauses. "I'll think about it. But, I need to be going or I'm going to be late."

"Okay, Betty. I'll see you later."

Betty leaves and Max goes over to the front door of the dorm. As she searches through her purse looking for her ID to swipe, she feels something hard pressed into her back.

"Hello, Lex..." Theo then sneers. "Or should I say Max?"

Max swallows and tries to stay calm. "What do you want, Teddy?"

"I just want to talk. And I want to know why you helped set me up..."

"I didn't make you hit and try to rape that girl!"

"So, you believe them, huh?"

"Yes, I do! You know, I should just scream right now..."

Theo laughed. "Do and its the last thing you ever do!"

Max is terrified. "What do you want then?"

Theo sneers. "I think you and I need to go have a little chat with your friends...Come on!"

Theo begins to march Max away from the dorm.

However, the entire scene was observed by someone else who quickly followed after them.

_To be Continued..._


	14. The Crisis Begins

_Chapter 14_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody and Bailey were both sitting on the couch, their steering wheel controllers in hand, both into the game they were playing. Every once in a while, they would bump each other trying to throw the other off of their game.

"Cody!"

"Yes, Sweetie?"

"Did you just shoot me with a red shell?"

Cody grinned. "That was me..."

"And I thought you loved me!"

"Oh, was it your love for me that made you drop that banana peel right in front of me?"

Bailey grinned. "Well..."

"That's what I thought!"

"You do know I'm going to get you back for that, right?"

Cody smiled. "You're going to have to catch me first..."

"You better check your rear view mirrors because here I come!"

"Uh huh..."

Bailey got excited. "Ooo...Look who has a blue shell now...You know what they say about paybacks..."

"You wouldn't!"

Bailey grinned and pushed her button. "I just did!"

But Cody grinned right back and pushed his own button.

Bailey gasped. "Cody! You had a invincibility star?"

"Yup..."

"That's cheating!"

Cody laughed. "No, that's called getting lucky..."

"That's no fair!"

Cody took his driver and had him skid across the finish line in first place. "Bails, all's fair in love and war and Mariokart..."

Bailey huffs as she finished second. "That was no fun..."

Cody turned to her. "But it is fun when you destroy me in Wii bowling?"

Bailey smiled. "Well, yeah...but that's different."

"How so, Miss 300 Game?"

Bailey mocked pouted. "It just is..."

"Awww...I'm sorry, my little hay bale..." Cody gave her one of his most sincere looks. "Forgive me?"

Bailey rolled her eyes. "Alright, as long as it only happens this one time..."

Cody grinned. "Not a chance of that!"

"Cody!"

"Yes?"

Bailey couldn't help but to smile. "I think you enjoy beating me at this game way too much..."

"What can I say? Its the only thing we've played that I have consistently..."

Bailey just shook her head. "What am I going to do with you?"

Cody smiled. "Anything you want, my love..."

"I like it better when we do things we're both good at and we both win..."

"Have something in particular in mind?"

Bailey grins at him. "I think you know what I'm talking about..."

"I pray its not the doubles tennis you are talking about right now..."

Bailey laughs. "Well, we are pretty darn good at that, but I did have something else in mind..."

Cody grins. "I hope its a little lovin' in the afternoon..."

Bailey grins right back. "Well, we are supposed to lock ourselves in here..."

"And I am supposed to keep an eye on you..." Cody leers at her all over. "And you know how much I love doing that..."

"Cody?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and kiss me!"

Cody leans in and kisses Bailey as both fall back into the couch. Unfortunately, their afternoon delight is soon interrupted by a knock at the door.

Cody sighed. "Again?"

Bailey giggled. "Just get rid of whoever it is...Unless its the girl scouts, then buy us some Tagalongs..."

Cody laughed. "Will do..."

Cody got up, checked the peephole, and opened the door to find Max standing there.

"Max? What's up?"

The next thing Cody knew was Max was being pushed into the door and he had to catch her. While he was doing that, he could only watch as Theo followed her in and turned and locked the door. Bailey had just risen up when Theo turned back around and pulled the pocketknife out of his pocket.

"Alright, all three of you on the couch now!"

Outside, someone was standing outside the apartment with his phone out.

"Yes, I know where Teddy is and I think you need to get here fast!"

Back inside, Bailey, Cody and Max are sitting back on the couch as Theo paces in front of them. "You three couldn't just leave well enough alone, could you?"

Cody found his voice. "Us? You started this, not us!"

"And if you had known your role, you would have accepted it!"

Cody smirked. "And what role would that be?"

"To know I am better than you and always will be!"

"Is that what happened with Rebecca? She didn't know her role either?"

"You shut up about that! She was nothing but a tease..."

Cody smirked again. "I seriously doubt that..."

"You know nothing about what happened..."

"I know what Rebecca told me, and I think I take her word over yours..."

"She deserved everything she had coming to her. No one tells me no!"

Bailey smirked this time. "Well, maybe your parents should have at some point, and then maybe you wouldn't have turned into a spoiled brat..."

Theo glared. "No woman ever says no to me!"

Bailey laughed. "We did!"

Theo grinned. "Maybe its time I teach you the consequences of that right now..."

Cody immediately stood up and in front of Bailey and glared at Theo. "Over my dead body!"

"That can be arranged!"

All the while, Max has held her purse tight. She slips her hand into it and slowly grabs the can of bear repellant. When he has his attention on Cody, she whips it out and begins spraying it at Theo.

_To be Continued..._


	15. The Crisis Continues

_Chapter 15_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Theo turned away from Max as she proceeded to empty the can of bear repellant. Once he heard the can empty, Theo turned to Max and pulled off his sunglasses. "You idiot. You may have just ruined my very expensive pair of sunglasses! They're worth more than your life! Next time you try to mace someone, make sure you actually get it in their eyes..."

Theo made a move towards Max, but Cody moved in front of her too. Cody continued to stare down Theo.

"Give up, Theo. Its already over..."

"What are you talking about?"

"Campus security already has a warrant for your arrest. In fact, their probably searching your place right now..."

Theo smirks. "They can't pin anything on me..."

"Actually, they can. They guy you hired to steal the economics test and break in here to plant it has already sung like a canary..."

Theo paused. "I'll get out of it. Its his word against mine..."

Cody smiled. "Well, his word, his recordings of your conversations, and the paper trail of your payoff..."

Theo glared. "You have no idea just how good my lawyer is..."

"Is that what you threatened Rebecca with?"

Theo grinned. "They can't prove I did anything..."

Cody paused and tried something. "It must have sucked when she turned you down flat, didn't it?"

"No, because I was going to get what I wanted one way or the other..."

Max spoke up. "So, you finally admit it..."

"Of course I do. But there is no way they can prove it."

"Hello! You just admitted it to us..."

Theo grins. "Well, I'll just have to make sure you three don't talk..."

Meanwhile, outside, Captain Morris has arrived outside the apartment. After securing the perimeter, he finds the young man standing outside.

"Are you the one who called?"

"Yes, sir. I saw him march Max inside the apartment..."

Murray nods. "Alright. Hang back and try not to get in the way."

Murray proceeds to run up to Jo and Bill's door and knocks. Jo answers it.

"Murray, so good to see you again. What brings you by today?"

"I'm afraid we have a situation next door. Seems Cody, Bailey and a friend of theirs may be held inside against their will. Do you have a spare key to their place?"

Jo gasps. "Of course..." She quickly runs and grabs the spare key. She gives it to Murray and he motions for two other officers to follow him around back. He tells another officer that on his signal to turn on the sirens to cause a distraction.

Back inside the apartment, Cody is still staring down Theo.

"You might as well give up now. I'm sure the police are on their way..."

Theo smirks. "That's if they know where I am...I plan on being out of here well before then..."

"I don't know about all of that. In case you missed it, there are motion sensor cameras outside. I'm sure they detected you and it was only a matter of minutes before the police are on their way."

"Yeah right!" And is of on cue, the sound of siren can be heard outside.

Theo briefly turns to towards the noise and Cody takes his opportunity. Picking up a coaster off the coffee table, he slings it across the room at Theo. Fortunately, it was a direct hit on Theo's wrist and if by reflex, he dropped the knife. By the time Theo turned, Cody had already leaped over the coffee table and was standing next to him. The next thing Theo saw was Cody kicking the knife under the coffee table toward the girls. Bailey immediately reached down to grab it.

Cody was smiling at Theo. "You want to give up now or do this the hard way?"

Theo finally lost it and charged at Cody. Cody sidestepped him and grabbed his arm and pulled it behind his back.

"Want to try that again?"

Theo took his free arm and threw an elbow back towards Cody the connected with his temple, leaving Cody dazed and bleeding. Theo took the opportunity to free his other arm. He turned and grinned at Cody.

"Gladly. Now its time to teach you a lesson!"

"Don't you dare move a muscle!"

Theo turned to see Bailey holding the knife.

Theo smirked. "Like you know what to do with that..."

Bailey stared at him. "You move one more muscle towards Cody, and I'll keep my promise I made you in the 7-11!"

"Like I believe you can do that..."

"Try me!"

Theo begins to move towards Bailey when he feels a weight on his back. Cody has regained his senses and jumped onto Theo's back.

"You go near her and I will kill you!"

Theo is struggling trying to get Cody off of him.

Max takes the opportunity to run to the front door, unlock it and try to get help. Once she steps outside, she is immediately grabbed by a policeman before she can tell them what is going on inside. He takes her off to the side to keep her safe. She keeps trying to talk to them, but they don't listen to her. Frustrated, she looks around to try to find someone who can help when a young man runs up to her.

"Max, are you okay?"

Max stares at the young man. "Yeah...Do I know you?"

He smiles. "I would certainly hope so..."

Realization dawns on Max. "Oh my God! Its you!"

Back inside, Theo is still struggling with Cody on his back. Cody is trying to administer a sleeper hold, but its not working out as well as he had hoped. Theo finally leaned himself over in an attempt to flip Cody over. While they were grappling with each other, Cody yelled for Bailey to get herself to safety as well. With Cody distracted, Theo was able to flip him. It partially worked, but Cody managed to grab some of Theo's hair on his way over. Some hair was ripped out, but enough held that when Cody landed on his back, Theo landed face first on the floor. Both were stunned at first.

Bailey took the moment to close and pocket the knife and run into the bedroom for the baseball bat. She knew Cody had told her to run, but she wasn't going to leave him. She was determined to end this before Cody got hurt. She returned with the bat and stood behind Theo as he and Cody were beginning to get back up.

Cody was panting. "Its over, Theo..."

Theo was panting even harder. "Oh no its not!"

"The police are right outside!"

"They won't do anything when I still have you two in here!"

"Last time I checked, you don't have us!"

Theo reached down to grab a vase off the coffee table. "I guess I'll have to change that, won't I?"

Before he could do anything, Bailey swung the bat at Theo's knee and he went down hard. She threw down the bat and immediately ran over to Cody.

"Cody! Are you alright?"

Cody nodded. "I'll live...Are you okay?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine..."

"Good...Nice swing by the way."

Bailey just threw her arms around Cody and held on to him tightly. Meanwhile, on the floor, Theo was in agony, but he was also desperate. He pulled himself up and grabbed the bat off the floor to use as a crutch. He balanced himself as best as he could and brought the bat up to his shoulder.

Cody saw this and immediately pulled Bailey behind him so he would take the brunt of any swing Theo could manage to make.

Theo brought the bat back as best as he could but he was having trouble maintaining his balance with his knee destroyed. He was about to swing with all he could when he heard those words.

"POLICE! FREEZE!"

Theo turned to see Captain Morris standing there with his gun drawn aimed at him. At that point, Theo new it was over and turned back towards Cody. However the last thing he saw was Cody's left hand reaching for his shoulder and the index finger of his right hand coming towards his forehead.

_To be Continued..._


	16. The Crisis Concludes

_Chapter 16_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Theo was now out cold lying in the middle of the living room. The police quickly came over and cuffed him, but he was still unconscious.

Captain Morris just looked up at Cody. "What did you do to him?"

Cody paused. "The sleep of the striking cobra..."

"What the heck is that?"

"A karate move I learned once. He should be awake shortly..."

Bailey turned to him. "Where did you learn...Cody! You're bleeding!" She quickly grabbed a kleenex, dabbed it with her spit and began cleaning off Cody's forehead.

Murray looked at them. "Did Theo do that?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah, he elbowed me. I guess he got me harder than I thought."

Murray looked at Bailey. "How bad is it?"

Bailey finished cleaning the wound and examined it. "He might need stitches..."

Murray looked back down at the still unconscious Theo. "Guess what, buddy...you just got another charge of assault against you..."

Cody spoke up. "He also admitted to us that he did try and rape the girl we told you about..."

Murray smiled. "Excellent...Not what he tried to do, but that he admitted it. Seems he also kept a journal, we have someone reading it now to see what all is in there. He's going away for a long, long time..."

Cody and Bailey both sighed. "Good..."

"You should probably get Cody over to the University Hospital to get him checked out to be on the safe side..."

Bailey nodded. "Count on it..."

Cody sighed. "I guess I'm two for two, huh?"

Bailey turned back to him. "What do you mean?"

"Two fights in my life, two trips to the emergency room..."

Bailey smiled at him. "Its okay, Sweetie..." She leaned up and whispered in his ear. "Besides, you're a lover, not a fighter..."

Cody couldn't help but smile back at her. "I can live with that..."

About that time, Theo began to come to. He tried to move but realized he was handcuffed. Murray kneeled down next to him and proceeded to read him his rights. And with that, two officers pulled him up to his feet. And with his knee crippled, they had to hold him up.

But Theo wouldn't go down without a fight. "I want those two arrested too! He attacked me and she hit me with a baseball bat!"

Murray turned to Cody and Bailey. "Is this true?"

Cody and Bailey shook their heads. "No sir. If we did anything, it was completely out of self defense..."

Murray nodded. "That's what I thought..." He turns to Theo. "You're actually fortunate. You aren't going straight to jail thanks to your knee. But don't worry, you'll be behind bars before you know it."

Theo glares at Cody and Bailey. "This isn't over! I will get you for this!"

Murray smirks at him. "Congratulations, you just added a charge of terroristic threatening..." He turns to Cody and Bailey. "Get Cody checked out and stop by the police station tomorrow after your classes to make your statements..."

Cody and Bailey nod as Theo is lead out of the apartment.

Bailey turns to Cody. "This is the fourth time we will have to make a statement to the police..."

Cody nods. "I know...But look it this way, the fifth time we do comes with free tickets to the policeman's ball..."

Bailey can't help but shake her head and laugh at that. "Let's put off the fifth time as long as we can..."

At that time, Max comes back inside.

"Are you two okay?"

Bailey nods. "For the most part. I need to get Cody over to University Health to check the wound on his head..."

"Is it bad?"

Cody shakes his head. "I'm fine..."

Bailey grabs his hand. "That's what you said the last time...You're going to the hospital!"

Cody shrugs. "Alright...What about you, Max, are you okay?"

"Yeah, nothing wrong here. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Bailey paused. "Would you mind keeping an eye on Porkers while we're gone? Its been kind of chaotic around here, and I would rather not leave him by himself..."

"Consider it done..." She paused. "Would you two mind if someone waited with me?"

"Not at all. Help yourself to anything in the fridge..." Bailey paused. "Do we know this person?"

Max smiled. "Sort of...Look, I'll explain everything when you two get back."

Cody and Bailey nodded and Bailey drove them over to the emergency room. Fortunately, it wasn't too busy of a night in the ER and their wait wasn't too long.

Cody sat there fidgeting. "I hope they don't have to use stitches..."

"Why not?"

"Because that almost guarantees a scar..."

Bailey smiled at him. "Even if there is one, it doesn't matter...Consider it a badge of honor."

"Yeah?"

"Of course. Don't think I didn't notice how every time there was danger, you immediately put yourself in between it and me or Max. You were very heroic..."

"I will always do whatever it takes to protect you..."

"Cody, I hope this taught you something though."

"What's that?"

"That you have what it takes to take care of our family...I always knew it, and I hope you know it now too..."

Cody paused and smiled. "Maybe I do..."

"You do..."

"If you say so...I will say, I am looking forward to just going to class, being with you and being boring old college students..."

Bailey smiled. "Me too..."

"Of course, we still have the day in New York City I promised you..."

Bailey teases him. "Anything I want to do, right?"

"Of course..."

"It doesn't matter to me as long as I'm there with you."

Cody is about to say something when his name was called. Cody and Bailey got up and followed a nurse back to the exam room. After waiting a little bit longer, they were finally seen by a doctor. She proceeds to clean Cody's wound and determines some stitches are needed. After numbing his forehead, she inserts six stitches before bandaging the wound. She then gives Bailey the instructions on keeping it clean and changing the dressings.

Finally, they get back to the house late at night and come back in the back door.

Max gets up to welcome them and notices the bandage on Cody's head.

"That doesn't look good..."

Cody laughs. "Its not as bad as it looks...Just a few stitches."

Bailey smiles. "So, where's your friend?"

Just then, someone walks into the kitchen with them.

"Good to see you again, Cody..."

Bailey looks confused and turns to Cody who has a look of absolute shock on his face.

"Tapeworm?"

_To be Continued..._


	17. The Return of Another Old Friend

_Chapter 17_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody just stood there in shock as Bailey looked at him in confusion. Finally he turned to her.

"Maybe I should have gotten checked for a concussion. I think I'm seeing things..."

Tapeworm laughed. "You aren't seeing things, Cody. Its me..."

"How...What...What are you doing here?"

Tapeworm laughed again. "I assume the same as you guys. Going to college..."

Cody was confused. "I don't understand..."

"I guess I should explain. I live on the other side of campus. I saw Max on campus a few times, but I wasn't sure it was her. I saw her earlier tonight and was about to go up and talk to her when Theo went up behind her and took her off. I followed them back here not knowing whose place this was. I called campus security and waited to make sure everything was okay. When Max came running out, I went up to her. She was surprised to see me too and that's when she explained to me that you were inside..."

Cody just shook his head. "Wow..." He cleared his head. "Tapeworm, I'd like to introduce you to my fiancee, Bailey Pickett..."

Bailey smiled. "Nice to meet you. Cody has told me a lot about you."

Tapeworm smiled. "Likewise. You can call me Chester if you like..."

Cody and Max just stare at him and speak at the same time. "Chester?"

Tapeworm laughed. "Why do you think I didn't mind being called Tapeworm?"

Bailey paused. "How did you get your nickname anyways?"

Tapeworm shrugged. "At a hot dog eating contest Cody and I were in, I ate twenty hot dogs in two minutes..."

"Wow..." Bailey turned to Cody. "How did you do?"

Cody sighed. "Two..." He paused. "Tapeworm was one of my fellow Math camp survivors..."

Bailey nodded. "Well, its nice to finally put a face to the stories..."

Tapeworm smiled. "Thanks. And I look forward to getting to know the young lady who from what Max tells me has Cody wrapped around her little finger..."

Bailey blushed but Cody grinned. "Guilty. You know, Tapeworm, you seem different..."

"Different how?"

"Well, your not so...so..."

Max interrupted and laughed. "Strange?"

"Well, I was going to say withdrawn..."

Tapeworm laughs. "Probably right on both counts. I was kind of forced to open up..."

Max turned to him. "What do you mean?"

"When my dad was transferred, I had to start all over again. Without you two and Zack around, I had to branch out on my own again. I was forced to break out of my shell..."

Everyone nods. "Good..."

"Speaking of Zack, Max tells me he's up at UCONN. That must weird to be separated from each other for the first time since Math Camp..."

Cody nods. "It is..." He turns to Bailey and smiled. "But, he left me in good hands..."

Tapeworm smiled. "Good. I'd love to see Zack again sometime."

Bailey smiled back. "Well, we're supposed to head to Hartford this weekend to hang out with Zack, Cassie and our friends Woody and Addison...You both are more than welcome to come with us."

Max smiled. "Sounds like fun."

Tapeworm nods. "Sounds good to me..."

"We'll even make sure its a surprise for him."

Tapeworm checks his watch. "Its getting late, and you all must be exhausted."

Max sighs. "You're right."

"Cody, its great to see you again. I hope we won't be strangers."

Cody smiled. "Of course not. Feel free to stop by anytime..."

"I may do that. My roommate is...interesting to say the least..."

Max laughs. "Join the club. What's the story with yours?"

Tapeworm pauses. "Let's just say he likes to stay up all night on his computer checking out...various websites..."

Cody nods but Bailey and Max haven't caught on yet. "What so bad about that?"

"Well..."

Cody leans over and whispers into Bailey's ear and her eyes grow wide. "Oh..."

Max huffs. "Okay, who's going to tell me?"

Tapeworm sighs. "Tell you what, I'll walk you back to your dorm and I'll explain on the way..."

Max nods. "Alright..."

Cody and Bailey walk them out and say goodnight. As they close the door, they hear a loud "Ewww." Cody can't help but laugh.

Bailey turns to him. "You ready for bed?"

Cody pauses. "In a little while. I should probably do the reading for tomorrow before I get to bed..."

Bailey smiled. "I think it will be okay if you don't. At the least, I think Bill will understand."

"How about this. I do the reading for Biology and the reading for everything else between classes?"

"Okay, but that's it. I'm supposed to be taking care of you, remember?"

Cody smiled and kissed her cheek. "I know. You always do."

They both proceed to finish their Biology reading, and fortunately, it was mostly things they already knew. It was close to midnight when they finished, and Bailey had to drag Cody to bed. As they laid there all snuggled together, Bailey turned to Cody.

"Chester seems nice..."

Cody can't help but laugh. "I'm not sure I'll ever get used to calling him Chester..."

"I know, but he does seem really nice..."

"He is. Tapeworm is a genuinely good guy."

Bailey paused. "Maybe the kind of guy Max could go for..."

Cody just looked at her. "Bails..."

"What?"

"Are you thinking of matchmaking?"

Bailey smiled. "Maybe..."

"Just remember, they've been friends for a long time..."

"We were friends first too and look how we turned out..."

Cody paused. "I know, but while we were friends, I was also in love with you the whole time..."

"Who's to say maybe Chester wasn't with Max?"

"Bails...I know your heart is in the right place, but don't try to force something..."

"I'm not trying to force anything. I think they would be a cute couple..."

Cody sighs. "Maybe..."

"Cody, there's nothing wrong with wanting everyone to be as happy as I am. I've met my knight in shining armor, and we both know Max wants to as well...A little push won't hurt anything..."

Cody smiles. "You seem pretty confident about it..."

Bailey smiled. "I am..."

Cody paused. "Sounds like we have another bet brewing..."

"It sure does..."

_To be Continued..._


	18. Time for Some Fun

_Chapter 18_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next day, Cody and Bailey went to class as normal. They did their reading between classes, and once their final class was over, they met Max and Tapeworm at the campus police building. All four proceeded to give their sworn statements and were told that they were all likely going to be called to testify when Theo's trial came around. Captain Morris also told them that the state of New York was wanting first crack at him for the assault and attempted rape charges and would need their testimony or sworn affidavits as to his confession.

Cody and Bailey returned back to their place and went ahead and got their homework out of the way. But that day felt different to them as they felt a huge weight had been lifted off of their shoulders. They were just more at ease and were having fun teasing each other as they cooked together. As they finished up cooking, there was a knock at the back door. Bailey went over to answer it, found Jo standing there and invited her inside.

"I understand you two had quite a night last night..."

Cody laughed and turned from the stove. "You could say that..."

It is then Jo notices the large bandage on Cody's forehead. "Oh my...What happened?"

Cody shrugged. "No big deal...Theo got in a lucky elbow..."

Bailey rolled her eyes. "Don't listen to him, he had to get six stitches last night..."

"Does it hurt?"

Cody shook his head. "Nah. Besides, I've got a great nurse taking care of me."

"Well, I bet you guys are glad this is all over..."

Bailey nodded. "We are. We're ready to go back to being regular old dull college students..."

Jo laughed. "Somehow I doubt that will happen..."

"We can only hope..."

"Well, what's going to be your first official acts as boring college students?"

"Well, we're going to hang out with our friends Saturday in Hartford and then come back and begin studying for Bill's tests next week..."

"You'll both do fine. He tells me that you two are among his best students."

Bailey smiled. "We appreciate that. We've both always enjoyed learning."

Jo smiles. "I can tell. I bet you two are the type to write an editor and tell them about mistakes in a text book..."

Bailey laughs. "Well, I did call the publisher of our high school chemistry textbook and told them they had incorrectly labeled sodium chloride as a covalent compound instead of an ionic compound..."

Cody turned to her. "You did?"

"Yeah..."

Cody laughs. "I did the same thing..."

"Really?"

"Yeah..."

Jo just laughs. "I'm not surprised. Of course you two would both do that. That's why you two are so perfect for each other..."

Bailey smiled. "We think so too..."

"Well, I hope you guys have fun this weekend, and I'll tell Bill not to be too rough when he makes the tests..."

"Thank you, we appreciate that."

That rest of the week went by without any event, and Saturday morning arrived before they knew it. Around noon, Max and Tapeworm showed up at Cody and Bailey's place. Once everyone arrived and Porkers was taken care of, everyone hopped into the SUV and found themselves heading north. It had been agreed that they would meet up at a place in Hartford that was similar to a Jillian's or a Dave and Busters. Almost immediately after they pulled into the parking a lot, a similar navy blue SUV pulled in right behind them.

As everyone got out of the respective vehicles, Zack and Cassie noticed there were four people coming out of the other SUV. Immediately, they recognized Max, but neither could place the other person. Tapeworm came right over to Zack and smiled at him.

"Hey, Zack...Long time, no see..."

Zack just stared at him in confusion before it dawned upon him too. "Tapeworm?"

"Yeah..."

Zack just shook his head and laughed. "Good to see you again, man...Its been a while." Zack turned to Cody. "Who are you guys going to find at Yale next? Nia? Millicent?"

Cody shrugged. "They just keep coming out of the woodwork..."

Zack turns back to Tapeworm. "Tapeworm, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Cassie, my buddy, Woody, and his girlfriend, Addison."

Tapeworm nodded to all of them. "Nice to meet you all as well. And if you prefer, you can call me Chester..."

Zack turned to his brother and mouthed "Chester?"

Cody just nodded.

Zack just shook his head. "Alright, lets have some fun!"

For the next couple of hours every ate, played games and just had some fun. For Cody, Bailey and Max, it was a welcome diversion from the previous week. At one point, Cody noticed Bailey talking to Tapeworm as they were playing skeeball. He could only shake his head as he knew what she was doing. Finally, they were sitting down around a table after ordering dinner.

Zack turned to his brother. "So, how much longer do you keep the stitches?"

"I'm supposed to go back after class on Friday after next, and the doctor thinks they should be ready to come out..."

Cassie just shakes her head. "Why do the weirdos always seem to flock to you guys?"

Bailey sighed. "I wish we knew..."

"Well, you two deserve a nice long break from any more drama for a while..."

"Amen, Cassie...Amen..."

Cody tries to change the subject. "So, how are all of your classes going?"

Zack shrugs. "They're going. Of course, you would think after living on a cruise ship for three years I'd know more about oceanography than I do..."

Cody laughs. "I tried to get you to go to the special class Moseby had on it, but you said you had better things to do..."

"I did..."

"Like what?"

"Some young punk challenged my role as the biggest troublemaker on the ship..."

Cody sighed. "Of course..."

Zack smirked back at his brother. "Of course, as I remember, you didn't exactly finish the class yourself..."

Cody smirked right back. "I had something more important come up..."

Bailey turned to Cody. "What was more important that you didn't finish a class?"

Cody smiled. "You wanted tickets to the Hannah Montana concert, so I was busy moving heaven and earth trying to get them..."

Bailey smiled back at him. "I didn't know I was pulling you away from a class..."

"Bails, if the choice was between you and a class, you win every time..."

Finally, their food arrived and everyone continued to talk as they ate. Once they were done, they hit some more games before it was time for everyone to begin the drives back to their respective campuses.

In the parking lot, everyone was waiting for Max and Tapeworm to cash out their tickets inside. As they were talking, Woody turned to Cody.

"So, is the Tapeworm guy taking my place?"

Cody just looked to Woody. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, I just thought I was the Theodore to Zack's Alvin and your Simon..."

Cody just looked at Woody in confusion while the three girls just looked at each other and began to laugh.

Cassie shook her head. "He's right! We're dating the Chipmunks!"

Cody turned back to Woody. "Woody, trust me. No one could ever replace the role you have in my life. I don't think anyone could ever come close..."

Woody lit up. "Really?"

"Really. You and Tapeworm are both my boys. Definitely room in my world for both of you..."

"Thanks, Man..."

Cody pulls him closer. "Besides, I'm counting on you keeping Zack out of trouble..."

Woody laughed. "Like that's going to happen..."

Cody laughed too. "Worth a shot..."

Finally, Max and Tapeworm came out walking towards each other smiling and talking to each other. Bailey slipped behind Cody and whispered in his ear.

"Told you..."

Cody turned to her. "What did you do?"

_To be Continued..._


	19. The First Exams

_Chapter 19_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The entire drive back to New Haven, Cody knew he couldn't question Bailey as Max and Tapeworm were in the back seat. However, once they got back to town and dropped them both off at their dorms, Cody immediately spoke up.

"Alright, I saw you talking to Tapeworm. What did you say?"

Bailey smiled. "I nonchalantly mentioned that Max had really grown up from the pictures you had showed me..."

"And?"

"I happened to mention that she was now a looker that I was sure many guys would like to go out with..."

"And?"

"I also mentioned that while I haven't known her all that long, she seems like a wonderful person..."

"And?"

"I may have said that whoever ended up with her would be a lucky guy...That's all I said, I swear..."

Cody nodded. "Just don't push too hard, okay?"

"Why not?"

"Well, they are the only close friends we have our age in town. I just don't want to make things awkward between them and affect our friendships with them."

Bailey looked concerned. "You really think it could?"

"I don't know. I just don't know if that's a risk worth taking..."

Bailey paused. "I don't want to hurt our friendships..."

Cody smiled at her. "I know you don't. You just want to see them happy, and I can completely understand that..."

"I just want everyone to know what we have..."

"I don't know...I like to think what we have is very special and unique..."

Bailey smiled at him. "It is. I guess it would be impossible for everyone to know exactly what we have..."

"Its okay. Besides, we have enough to worry about the next couple of weeks. We have a macro test on Tuesday and a micro one on Friday. And then we have a Chemistry test next Tuesday night and a Biology test next Friday."

Bailey sighed. "Our first college exams..."

Cody smiled. "I know...I can't wait..."

Bailey smiled back at him. "Me either..."

"See, that's why we are so unique. What other couple do you know of that's actually looking forward to taking tests?"

Bailey laughed. "I know. But that's what makes us us..."

Cody and Bailey did return home and spent the whole day Sunday doing their reading for Monday and studying for their exams that week. Once Tuesday arrived, they had their first exam. And both breezed through it with no trouble. In fact, they were the first ones done and even after double checking everything, they were the first ones to turn in their tests. Bill just shook his head and smiled at them as they walked out of the classroom.

That afternoon was their first chemistry lab without Theo in the class. The TA's job was a little tougher as he now had someone without a lab partner, but he had to make do. The lab that week was something they actually hadn't done before, but they had no problems with it.

The rest of the week was spent doing their homework and studying for their micro test. Come Friday morning, again they were ready for the exam, and it went pretty much the same way as the macro one did. Again, Bill just shook his head. He was pretty sure he was looking at a repeat performance from the earlier one.

Friday night, Cody and Bailey decided to take it easy and spend a night in cooking dinner and watching TV together. They were able to just relax and joke around with each other. At one point, Cody asked Bailey if she could explain what the Kardashians actually did to warrant being famous. Bailey paused and said it was for probably the same reason The Situation was...no one really knew. So, instead of trying to figure out reality TV, the flipped back to something they preferred...reruns of Mythbusters.

The rest of the weekend was spent studying for their exams – Saturday for Biology and Sunday for Chemistry. On Sunday night, as they were fixing dinner, there was a knock at their back door. Bailey went over to answer it and found Bill standing there.

"I just figured you two might want to know how you guys did on your exams..."

Cody looked at Bailey and back to Bill. "Well, we both thought we did well. Were we right?"

Bill laughed. "I would say so...You both nailed them. I don't think your classmates will be too happy with you two throwing off the curve though..."

Cody and Bailey smiled and high fived each other.

"Well, I just figured you two would like to know. Congratulations..."

"Thank you for letting us know..."

"I'll see you both in class tomorrow."

Bill leaves, and Cody picks Bailey spins her around in glee.

"Seems like a good time to celebrate to me."

Bailey smiled. "I agree. I think we've worked hard enough today. I say we give ourselves the rest of the night off."

"Sounds good to me. What do you have in mind?"

"Well, dinner for now..." Bailey grinned. "...and a real celebration later..."

Cody smiled. "Impeccable thinking as always..."

After finishing eating, they retired to their living room to just relax in front of the TV again. Of course, one show happened to catch their attention – Dancing With the Stars. Not that they were big fans of the show or had anything against it, but rather, it was one of the contestants giving an interview that caught their eye.

"_We're here with former NFL MVP, Kurt Warner...Now, Kurt, do you think you can do as well as former NFL players Jerry Rice, Chad Ochocinco, Warren Sapp and Michael Irvin?"_

"_Well, I sincerely hope I can do my best."_

"_I know you would probably rather still be playing right now though..."_

"_Yes, I would. But it wasn't God's will that I keep playing. So, I have to accept that."_

"_Well, the fans in Arizona still blame the young man who caused your injury. Especially after the Cardinals went 4-12 last year."_

"_Fans will be fans..."_

"_Does it bother you that they hold him to almost a Steve Bartman level of contempt?"_

"_Look, it was an accident. Do I wish it had never happened? Of course. But, I have to move on with my life."_

"_So, have you forgiven Cody Martin?"_

"_Do I forgive him? Yes. Do I wish I had never met him? Yes."_

Bailey immediately changed the channel. "Don't listen to him. There are plenty of people who are glad that you are in their lives. And I am at the top of that list."

Cody nodded. "Thanks. I do feel bad thought. It was just an accident."

"Accidents happen. I know you would never intentionally try to hurt anyone."

"Thanks, Sweetie."

"Forget about him. He got paid millions of dollars to play a game. I think he'll be okay."

Cody smiled. "You know. I'm kind of glad I was never good enough to be professional athlete."

"Why's that?"

"I don't need the money and fame. And besides, I would be on the road so much and be away from you. I have you, and that already makes me the wealthiest man alive."

Bailey smiled. "Why don't we skip the TV and get back to our celebration..."

"Gladly..."

"Come here..."

And with that Bailey pulls Cody back on the couch with her as she kisses him.

The finally break apart and Cody looks around.

Bailey looked at him confused. "What are you doing?"

"Waiting for the doorbell or the phone to ring..."

Bailey laughed. "I don't hear a thing..."

Cody grinned at her. "Just making sure. Now, where were we?"

"Right here..." Bailey pulls him back to her so she can kiss him again.

_To be Continued..._


	20. A New Jeopardy Arises

_Chapter 20_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next week went smoothly as well. Tuesday night was their first chemistry test. Since the class was so large and made up of a few different sections, the exam was held in a large lecture hall. As such, it had to be given by multiple choice. For Cody and Bailey, knowing one the four choices listed was correct was almost unfair. Both had their scientific calculators out and using them with great speed. But being the cautious duo they were, they went back and double checked their work on every question. Walking out of the test, both felt real good about how they had done.

The rest of the week was more of the same – studying and doing homework. Friday arrived and brought with it their Biology test. Both breezed through it as well. Afterwards, they continued on with their classes for the day. At the end of their chemistry class, their professor said the tests were already graded and scores were posted outside by everyone's student ID number. Cody and Bailey checked and, naturally, both had A's.

They decided to stay on campus after class to meet Max and Tapeworm for a late lunch.

"So, I guess we've all made it through our first round of exams and survived..."

Max sighs. "Barely. Will someone tell me why I signed up for that Calculus class? I think I did okay, but that stuff drives me crazy..."

Tapeworm turned to her. "Tell me about it. I'm wondering why I signed up for for my Philosophy course I did. I wish I had chosen something else..."

Max turned to him. "Well, if you want, I took several philosophy courses in high school. I may be able to help you out if you want..."

Tapeworm smiled. "I would be forever grateful. And if you want, I can help you with Calculus. I'm pretty good at it..."

Max smiled. "Then I would be the one forever grateful..."

Watching them, Bailey slipped her hand under the table and squeezed Cody's hand. Cody just slightly shook his head.

Max turned to them. "I wish I had done what you two did and taken as many AP courses as I could..."

Tapeworm just shook his head. "That had to be a lot of work..."

Bailey smiled. "It was, but that's why I'm glad we had each other. We encouraged the other to study and never tried to pressure the other not to. We had a lot of dates they were just us having dinner and then studying and doing homework until curfew."

Max laughed. "I didn't know Cody was such a cheap date..."

Bailey laughed. "He wasn't. Its just we both valued our educations and were grateful that the other understood and encouraged it..." She smiled at Cody. "But, we had our fair share of really romantic times too..."

Tapeworm grinned. "I have to hear this. What's the most romantic thing Cody ever did?"

"That's easy. My 18th birthday. He had surprises set up for me all day and ended in him proposing."

Max rolled her eyes. "That was a special occasion. I'm talking something he did on just a regular date..."

Bailey paused. "Cody did his fair share of grand gestures like recreating the mulch festival because I was feeling homesick to doing everything in his power to get me tickets to a concert I was dying to see to making a Thanksgiving dinner with all of my favorites when I couldn't make it home, but the things that stand out to me are the little things."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the nights we just lied together on the skydeck looking at the stars or the nights when I had to work late, he would have picked up dinner for me, had it waiting for me in the cabin, and then gave me a foot rub. Things like that showed me how much I meant to him. And its still the same way. I love cooking dinner together at night and just spending time together curled up on the couch. Even though we're engaged, he hasn't let up in romancing me. He shows me on a daily basis how much he loves me. And I completely love him for that."

Max sighs. "That sounds so nice..."

Bailey smiles. "It is. I thank God everyday that Cody was brought into my life and that he chose me to love."

"I want that someday too..."

"Well, its out there. You just have to let it find you..."

Max wistfully looks away. Bailey takes the opportunity to stare and grin at Tapeworm. He sighs and nods.

"So, what is everyone doing tonight?"

Max snaps back to reality. "No clue..."

"Why don't we all go see a movie or something?"

Max shrugs. "Fine with me..." She turns to Cody and Bailey. "What do you two say?"

Bailey smiles. "We'd love to...Give us a call later. We have to get over to student health so we can Cody's stitches removed."

"Cool, we'll see you later..."

As they leave to walk towards student health, Cody turns to Bailey.

"Well, I guess I know what we're doing tonight..."

Bailey grinned. "We're staying home because you aren't feeling too well after your stitches come out..."

Cody was confused. "Huh?"

"When they call, you aren't going to feel well, so we're staying at home..."

"But..."

Bailey grins. "We'll cancel and they'll be forced to go by themselves..."

Cody catches on. "I see..." He grins. "When did you get so devious?"

Bailey just simply smiles back at him. "You rubbed off on to me, you hooligan..."

Cody laughs. "But I'm reformed..."

Once at student health, Cody's stitches were ready to come out. This time, the doctor just gave them neosporin to keep it clean, but other than that, the wound needed air to breathe. Once they got home, they just hung out together on the couch taking it easy.

Max did call, but Bailey gave her the story she made up, but she hoped Max and Tapeworm had fun. Max agreed and hoped Cody felt better soon.

Snuggling back together on the couch, they were both ready to do nothing. So, they were flipping through the channels when they found Jeopardy on. Both agreed to watch it and see how they did. Well, both did really well and knew their stuff. At the end of the show, a special announcement aired.

"_Jeopardy is pleased to announce a new tournament we are now accepting applicants for. If you and your friend think they are the top duo among college students, sign up today for the Jeopardy College Team Tournament today!"_

Bailey just sat there leaning against Cody. "I always loved watching Jeopardy..."

"I did too...Used to drive Zack nuts...He was more of a The Price is Right kind of guy..."

Bailey smiled. "Growing up, Kettlecorn didn't have cable, so all we got was the basic networks via our antenna. Every night after dinner, my Dad and I would watch together and play along..."

"Sounds like some good memories..."

"Yeah...Part of me always wanted to try out for the show..."

Cody looked down at her. "Well, why don't you?"

Bailey looked back up at him. "Are you serious?"

"Of course. I bet you'd wipe the floor with them."

"You really think so?"

Cody smiled. "I know so..."

Bailey paused. "You think I would actually have a chance?"

"Definitely. You'd be exactly what they are looking for. Brilliant and drop dead gorgeous..."

Bailey leaned up and kissed him. "Thank you, Codykins..."

Cody smiled. "Anytime, Bails...So, you going to go for it?"

Bailey paused. "Maybe..."

"Go for it...I'll be behind you every step of the way. I'll help you prepare too. Anything you need."

Bailey paused again. "Anything?"

"Just name it..."

"Then try out with me for the College Team Tournament."

Cody was surprised. "Really?"

"Oh yeah. I can't think of anyone else I would rather have as a partner there with me. And having you there, I wouldn't feel so nervous..."

Cody paused and then smiled. "Alright. You know I would do anything for you."

Bailey reached up and hugged Cody. "Thank you, Codykins...Just you wait and see. We'll show the world how unbeatable we are!"

_To be Continued..._


	21. A Visit to New York City

_Chapter 21_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Before the night was over, Bailey and Cody had gone online and filled out their application for the show. The website said if chosen, they would be asked to take the Jeopardy test. Cody was very supportive though he knew the odds of them being selected were remote. For one, only fifteen teams from around the country would be selected. Two, the competition among the students at Yale alone would be highly competitive. And from every college tournament he had ever seen, the show only selected one person from each university. But, this was a dream of Bailey's, and he would do anything to make it happen.

The next day was Saturday, and on college campuses, a Saturday in October only meant one thing – football. Cody and Bailey had only really planned on going to one game that year, and it wasn't even going to be a home game at that. They had already gotten tickets through the University for the Harvard-Yale rivalry game to be held in Cambridge the Saturday after Thanksgiving. And they would be in Boston as they had already agreed to spend Thanksgiving in Boston this year and split their Christmas break between Kettlecorn and Boston.

So, with neither having any real plans, they decided to head down to New York City on a whim. Before they headed out, they did make a phone call.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey! Its Bailey!"

"_Who?"_

Bailey sighs. "You're former roommate and employee?"

"_Bailey!"_

"Good to talk to you again too, London..."

"_What do you want?"_

"Cody and I were thinking about heading down to New York for the day. If you were available, we wanted to see you..."

"_Well, I have yoga and then my mani-pedi, but I should be back by the time you guys get here. Let me give you my address..."_

And with that settled, Cody and Bailey were off, on their way south towards New York City. Upon arriving in the city, they were unprepared with what they had to deal with. For the past two summers, they had driven around Boston, but driving in New York City was so much different. They were just grateful they weren't there during rush hour. And the directions they got online were not helpful at all. At one point, the both were sure they were lost.

"Cody, do you have any idea where we are?"

"Not a clue..."

Bailey sighs. "We're lost in New York City..."

As they were stopped in traffic, Cody began looking around for anything he can recognize. Down the street, he did see something that made him smile.

"What was that address again?"

Bailey finds it, tells him and turns to him. "You think you know where we are?"

Cody smiles and points at something. "Call it a hunch..."

Bailey sees where he is pointing and begins to laugh. "Of course...the New York Tipton."

Cody manages to get over into the right lane and pulls into the underground entrance. He is stopped by the security guard at the gate.

"Do you have a reservation here?"

"Umm. No. Actually, we're here to see London Tipton."

The security guard smirks. "Right. Well, give me your names and I'll just see about that."

"Bailey Pickett and Cody Martin."

The guard steps into his guard shack and picks up the phone. A minute later, he returns.

"My apologies Mr. Martin and Miss Pickett. Put this tag on your rear view mirror. Miss Tipton is expecting you."

Cody and Bailey park the car and make their way into the lobby. The front desk told them London's suite number and they head to the elevators. Once they get to the right floor, the walk to London's door and knock.

London opens the door and immediately drags them both inside. She then turns to a camera set up. "And here they both are!"

Cody and Bailey look at each other in confusion and then turn to London. "What is going on here?"

"Simple. You two are my special guests today on Yay Me!"

"We are?"

"Umm, London. Were you planning on telling this to us?"

London smiled. "I just did!" London pushes them down into two seats and she takes one herself.

"But we didn't even know you were doing a webcast today..."

London grinned. "I wasn't going to until you two called. I've been getting a lot of responses from my viewers wanting to know what was going on with you two. Most of all, they want to know if you two are still engaged..."

Bailey just looks at London. "Of course we are!"

"Well, the next most popular question is when is the wedding."

Cody and Bailey look at each other before Cody turns to London. "We haven't set a date yet. We really haven't discussed it all that much..."

"Cody's right. We live together. We love each other. We want to spend the rest of our lives together. The wedding will just make official what we already know."

London smiles. "Well, I have some good news for you both. When you do decide, Yay Me! will be there to broadcast it live!"

"What?"

"My viewers want to see it happen!"

Bailey sighs. "But London. Its our wedding..."

"I know. And don't worry about a thing. Yay Me! will cover everything and it will be like we aren't even there."

Cody pauses. "What do you mean by cover everything?"

"Just that. You two agree to let me webcast your wedding, and I'll make sure you two get the wedding of your dreams!"

"London, you've just sprung this on us. You can't expect us to say anything right now. This is something that Cody and I need to sit down and talk about."

"Bailey's right. We need time."

London rolled her eyes. "Fine..." She turns back to the camera. "I'll keep you posted on what happens..."

Cody and Bailey just look at each other again and shake their heads.

London gets excited and turns back to them. "I almost forgot. One of the other perks is that I will be designing you exclusive London Tipton original bridesmaid dresses and wedding gown..."

Bailey doesn't know what to say to that. "Umm, London. I don't want a fancy wedding dress...My tastes are a little bit more...simpler..."

London rolls her eyes. "Duh. I know your style better than you do. Trust me. It will be perfect!"

Bailey sighs.

Cody turns to London. "So does that mean things are going well at FINY?"

London gets excited again and turns to the camera and goes on about how she is able to make everything sparkly.

While she is doing that, Bailey turns to Cody and whispers. "What do you think?"

"I think its something we would really need to think about. But in the end, it would be your call."

"Why mine?"

"Because I promised you the wedding of your dreams, and this is a way to make it happen..."

_To be Continued..._


	22. A Day in the Big Apple

_Chapter 22_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Eventually, London finished her show and her new producer was wrapping things up. Finally, she turned back to Cody and Bailey who were still staring at her.

"What?"

"London, you ambushed us!"

London shrugged. "So?"

Bailey sighed. "We haven't made any decisions yet and you put us out for the world to see..."

London rolled her eyes. "I don't buy that for a minute. You two have been engaged almost six months now. I seriously doubt you haven't thought about it at all..."

Cody paused. "Yes, we've thought about it, but..."

London interrupted him. "Alright, we have you thought about?"

"Well...We were thinking of having the wedding on the S.S. Tipton..."

London smiled. "Perfect! You tell tell me when and I'll take care of everything!"

Bailey interrupted her. "London! Cody and I still need to talk about this..."

"Fine. Talk then."

"We aren't right now. We're in New York City for the day. We know this is a big conversation that would be better done when we get home..."

London sighs. "Fine. Well, what are you two doing in New York anyways?"

Cody smiled. "I told Bailey I was bringing her to the city, and we could do anything she wanted..."

London turns to Bailey. "Well, what are you planning?"

Bailey paused. "Well, I'd like to go see Ground Zero, and then see the top of the Empire State building and maybe even see a Broadway play, but its probably too late to get tickets..."

London picked up her phone and had a short conversation. She turned back to them. "Stop by the concierge and he will take care of it..."

Bailey smiled. "Thank you, London..."

London shrugs. "Hey, if you want to see one, go right ahead. Those things bore me to death. I took Ivana to see one about cats and all it was people singing in ugly costumes...Anyways, you two have fun. I have to go catch the Tipton Chopper. I'm due for a end of the season party in the Hamptons..."

"Well, we hope you have fun. We promise we'll discuss it and talk to you soon."

"Sounds good. You two take care of yourselves."

Bailey and Cody returned to the lobby and spoke with the concierge. According to him, they just had to tell them what they wanted to see and it would be done. Bailey was tempted with Chicago and The Phantom of the Opera, but in the end, she couldn't pass up seeing The Lion King. Cody was agreeable to that, so with tickets in hand, they headed out on the streets and left the SUV in the Tipton garaga.

There first stop was Ground Zero. They both just walked around for a while, both trying to to imagine the tragedy that had occurred just over ten year ago. As they stood there, they could look up and see the continual construction of One World Trade Center, the former Freedom Tower. The enormity of what had happened there caused both of them to shake, and both prayed nothing like that would ever happen again.

Finally, they decided it was time to move along. Their tickets were for 8:00 PM and both decided to grab a bite to eat before they went. They decided to see the Empire State Building afterwards so they could see New York at night. Both decided they wanted to go to the famous Carnegie Deli, so they gave it a try. Both thought it was good, but not worth the prices.

They finally made their way to Broadway and the theater they were looking for. After being seated, they sat back to enjoy the show. The Lion King movie was one of their personal favorites, and both were curious to see how it had been adapted to the stage. Neither was disappointed though. Both thought it had been great and were still talking about it as they left and made their way towards the Empire State Building.

They arrived at the observation deck and just took in the view of the bustling metropolis below them. As they stood there, Bailey was looking on with awe and Cody stood behind her with his arms wrapped around her. He leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"Keep an eye open for large apes climbing up..."

Bailey laughed. "Will do...but I was thinking more of the romantic nature of this place..."

"Yeah?"

"This is where separated lovers are supposed to meet to be reunited..."

Cody pulled her closer. "Do they have to be separated for it to still be romantic?"

Bailey turned to face him. "I don't think so..."

"Me either..." And with that, Cody leaned down and kissed Bailey.

When they finally pulled apart, Bailey smiled. "That was very romantic..."

Cody smiled back. "Well, I aim to please..."

"You always do..."

Eventually, it was getting late and they did have a long drive back to New Haven. They made their way back to the street and walked back to the Tipton hand in hand. Once they got back, they returned to the SUV and headed back home. Once they got back to the interstate, Bailey turned to Cody.

"So, what do you really think of London's proposal?"

Cody paused to think. "Well, on one hand, I want it to be just about us. But on the other, we'll have our wedding forever documented and have a professionally done wedding video..."

It was Bailey's turn to pause. "I hadn't thought of that, but its true..."

"But in the end, its really your call. Just tell me what you want our wedding to be like and I'll make it happen..."

Bailey just sat there and thought. Finally she turned to Cody. "One one hand, the point of our wedding is us joining our lives together as one. So, in that respect, what our wedding is like doesn't matter as long as its us..."

"But the other hand?"

"Growing up with nine sisters, there wasn't much chance for me to stand out. I know I'm not the most beautiful woman in the world..."

Cody immediately interrupts her. "I completely disagree with that!"

Bailey smiled at him. "I know you do. I know in your eyes, I am that beautiful. And you have no idea what that means to me..." She pauses. "I guess I've always wanted one day where all eyes are on me. I know it sounds stupid..."

"It doesn't sound stupid at all."

"Really?"

"Really. I know to me, you will always be the most beautiful woman in any room you are in, but I understand wanting one day where you feel like the belle of the ball. Trust me, having an identical twin, I know a little something about wanting to stand out..."

"Thank you, Sweetie..." Bailey paused. "But, I am being silly. What matters to me is how you see me, and I know I'm beautiful in your eyes. I don't need to be the focus of attention..."

"Bails, you will always be the focus of my attention..."

Bailey smiled. "That's all I've really wanted. A husband who loves me and adores me and supports me no matter what. I have that and more in you..."

"So, are we turning London down?"

Bailey grins. "I didn't say that. I say we just continue to think about it. When the time is right, we'll know exactly what it is we want..."

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: I have had people ask me why this story is rated M. Well, I have other people say the adult themes I use in my stories indicate that they should be rated M. So, to be on the safe side, it is rated M. If that is really a problem for somebody, then I don't know what to say except that if you are reading my stories to get your jollies, then I suggest you look elsewhere.**


	23. You've Got Mail

_Chapter 23_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The rest of October ran smoothly. And soon, the calendar turned to November. Fall was in bloom on campus as all of the leaves around campus had turned to shades of reds, yellows and oranges. And November in New England brought with it cooler temperatures. Shorts and skirts were packed up until next spring, and sweatshirts and sweaters took their places. And the beginning of November brought round two of exams.

Like the last time, Cody and Bailey diligently prepared for each exam. And like the last time, they both destroyed the tests. Once exams were over, they only had a a few weeks until their "fall recess" which included the Thanksgiving break. So, with the lull between exams and break, they took life as easy as they could. Everything seemed very laid back and dull – exactly what they were both ready for.

But that changed one Friday. Max and Tapeworm were scheduled to come over for dinner that night. Cody and Bailey had noticed those two had been spending a lot more time together lately, but Cody still hadn't seen enough to declare Bailey the winner of their bet yet. Coming home from class that day, Cody stopped to get their mail while Bailey went on in to check on Porkers. As Cody was going through their mail, most of it junk, he noticed there was an envelope addressed to them from Sony Pictures Studio in California.

Returning inside himself, Cody was assuming it was a rejection letter telling them thanks for applying but we've gone a different direction. He put down his book bag and placed the rest of the mail on the kitchen counter. Opening the letter, he began to read it.

_Dear Miss Picket and Mr. Martin,_

_Thank you for your interest in the Jeopardy College Team Tournament. As you can imagine, we received a lot of interest from all over the country._

Cody sighed. It was pretty much what he figured.

_Upon reviewing your application, we would like to congratulate you both on making our list of finalists from Yale University._

Huh? Did that say what he thought it said?

_On December 3, 2011, we will have a representative on your campus to administer the Jeopardy test to the two of you as well as our other finalists from around the region. Please show up before 10 AM in Room 246 of the Student Center. If this time and date do not accommodate your schedule, please call us at the number below to attempt to reschedule a time at another campus._

Whoa...

_Again, Congratulations and hope to see you soon._

Cody just stood there reading and re-reading the letter over and over. He couldn't help but smile as he knew how happy this would make Bailey. And as if on thought, Bailey joined him in the kitchen. She couldn't help but see the smile on his face.

"What's going on?"

"Here. Read this..." Cody handed her the letter.

Bailey began reading it and a huge smile formed on her face too. She looked up at Cody and immediately threw her arms around him.

"We did it!"

"Yeah, we did..."

"Oh my gosh...We have to start studying for this right now!"

Cody chuckled. "Slow down. We have plenty of time and all fall recess to prepare ourselves."

Bailey paused. "You're right...But we should call everyone and let them know..."

This time Cody paused. "Maybe we should wait till we actually know something for sure."

"You don't think we'll make it?"

"Bails, I have every confidence in us. But maybe we just wait to tell everyone. Maybe we wait till the actual airdates and surprise them then..."

"Do you really think we'll make it on air?"

Cody just looked at Bailey. Despite his cautiousness, he wouldn't dare dash her dream. "Of course I do. Haven't we already proven that we are an unbeatable team?"

Bailey smiled. "Yeah, we have. You're right. Let's wait to tell everyone later."

Cody smiled back at her. "Good. Because we need to start on dinner. We're having guests over, remember?"

"Of course I remember. I'm fully planning on getting the confirmation I need to declare victory in our bet..."

"You think so, huh?"

"I know so..."

Cody teased her. "Maybe I should give them a push in the opposite direction then..."

"You wouldn't dare!"

Cody laughed. "Of course not."

"Good. Besides, I'm due to win one of our bets anyways..."

"Last I checked, we were both one win, one loss and one tie..."

Bailey grinned. "That's why its time for me to win again..."

Cody just laughed. Soon, they began to prepare dinner. Cody pulled out his Foreman Grill and began patting on burgers. Bailey began preparing a salad. While the burgers were cooking, Cody put a tray of of baked potatoes in the oven to let them cook. By the time the doorbell rang, everything was finished cooking.

The four sat around the table and ate. Once they finished, they just started talking.

Max turned to Cody. "That was delicious. Why are you going to law school or med school? You should be a chef..."

Cody smiled. "I thought about it, but I decided I enjoyed cooking way too much to do that..."

Tapeworm looks at him in confusion. "That makes no sense."

Cody shrugged. "I enjoy doing it, but I do it for me and my family and friends. If I did it for paying customers, it would become too...businesslike and I'm afraid I would get disenfranchised with it. This way, I'm not trying to please everyone else."

Tapeworm nodded. "That makes sense..."

Bailey decides to change the subject. "So, what about you two? Survive another round of exams unscathed?"

Tapeworm smiles. "Yeah, thanks to Max, I actually understood most of what I was talking about on my philosophy test..."

Max laughs. "Me? You actually explain derivatives and integrals to me in a way that made sense..."

Bailey couldn't help but to smile. She just knew that she had been right.

But Cody couldn't let it be that easy. "Wow...You two have been spending a lot of time together lately. Anything we should know about?"

Tapeworm didn't say anything but Max laughed. "Cody, Tapeworm and I are old friends, and neither of us knows that many people here..."

"Just checking..."

Now it was Bailey's turn. "I think its wonderful that two close friends are spending so much time together. You know, Cody and I started off as friends too..."

Max and Tapeworm look at each other and then back at Cody and Bailey. "Is there something going on here that we should know about?"

Cody smiled. "Not at all..."

Max nodded. "Good. Because for some reason I was getting the feeling there was a push to have Tapeworm and I as more than friends..."

Bailey paused. "Would that be so bad?"

"So...You were pushing?"

Cody shook his head. "Not at all. We just want to see the both of you happy."

"Wow...I can't believe you two! Trying to pair us off like that!"

Cody and Bailey looked at each other. Finally Bailey spoke. "I'm sorry. I just thought that maybe..."

But before she could continue, Tapeworm just started laughing.

Now, Cody and Bailey were confused.

"Sorry, Max...I couldn't help myself any longer..."

Max laughs too. "Its okay..." She turns back to Cody and Bailey. "I guess we should be upset that you meddled...but it may have worked out."

Bailey smiled. "Really?"

Tapeworm nodded. "Yeah..."

Bailey couldn't help herself and turned to Cody. "See, I told you so!"

Cody just smiled. "Yeah, you did...Congrats, Bails. You won."

Now it was Max and Tapeworm's turn to look confused. "Won what?"

"Bailey thought you two would be a cute couple. I thought you had been friends for so long that it might not happen..."

Max nods. "So, what does she win?"

Bailey just turned to Cody and smiled.

_To be Continued..._


	24. Another View Point

_Chapter 24_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

As the sun slowly streamed in through the window, he found himself stretching and opening his eyes. He slowly got out of bed and made his way into the kitchen where he found his Bailey sitting, drinking a cup of coffee while reading the newspaper. He began to walk over to her when he saw her look up and smile. Looking behind him, he saw Cody coming into the kitchen behind him with a smile on his face. He just looked up at Cody and oinked.

Porkers immediately trotted over to Cody and reached up so Cody would rub his head. And that's exactly what Cody did. He dropped to one knee and began to scratch Porkers behind his ears, and all Porkers could do was oink in contentment. Porkers had to think to himself that a few years ago, this sight would never would have happened. Because at first, he didn't really like Cody.

It had all started years ago back on Parrot Island. Porkers had grown up there and had a pretty carefree life. He had his parents and his brother and sisters around. Life was good. From the beginning, Porkers was always the smart one in the family. He wasn't the best at finding truffles or able to make the fiercest snort, but he was always the cleanest of the family. While others were constantly searching for food, Porkers had a desire to explore and keep learning new things.

Things began to change when more and more parrots began leaving the island. With fewer parrots, there were fewer tourists. With fewer tourists, there was less money brought to the island. And with less money on the island, the human residents had to look elsewhere for cheaper food. But Porkers was no dummy. He knew what that meant. He had tried to warn his family of the potential danger. His father scoffed at him and told him he worried too much. And his brother was too busy sniffing around some of the female pigs on the island to care.

But Porkers wasn't going to be deterred. He began to try to do things to keep his family safe, and he thought he had been successful. Well, he did until the day that his father disappeared. Search parties were formed to find him, but no trace was ever found. Porkers had a bad feeling he knew what happened, but wouldn't let himself actually think about it. Instead, he focused on the fact that he had to strive even harder to protect his family.

Alas, that was not meant to be either. Soon, more of his family began to disappear. First his brother, then his sisters and finally his dear mother. Porkers soon found that he was on his own. He missed his family dearly, but he knew there was nothing he could do. So, he focused on taking care of himself. And he had done a pretty good job of it. After all, he was a very smart pig. However, that all changed one day.

He had ventured into the town trying to find any kind of scraps of food he could. Trying to be a discreet as possible, he kept in the shadows as much as possible. However, that was to be his undoing. His back hoof got caught on something and he couldn't move. He began to initially panic and began oinking without realizing it. The next thing he knew, he was looking up a human girl leaning down next to him. Porkers could only think that this was finally it for him. But, instead, the girl helped released him and began to talk to him. Porkers could only look into her brown eyes and see the warmth and compassion in them. And, for some reason, he knew she would not hurt him. In fact, he didn't mind at all that she put a rope around his neck to use as a leash.

On instinct, he trusted this girl and knew he would be better off with her than on his own. It was then he was able to see the other three people with the girl. One was a big guy with crazy hair. He wasn't sure what to make of him, but he looked harmless enough. The other two looked like carbon copies of each other. He would later learn that their physical appearances were about the only real similarities between them.

After deciding to stay with the kind girl, the next thing he knew he was in a human jail cell. Not the most ideal place to be, but he was able to get to know more about the young girl. He found out her name was Bailey and that she had grown up on a farm. Porkers immediately seemed to bond with her and became very protective of her.

Since he was small and able to fit through the bars, it had been decided to attach a note to him to see if he could get help. Porkers wasn't sure why he was thinking about doing it, but one look from Bailey and he knew he was going to. After escaping the jail cell, he found his way back outside and began to look around for help. After a bit, he saw two people he recognized – the two blond boys who looked like each other. He immediately ran up to them and one seemed to recognize him. After hearing them talk, he learned their names were Zack and Cody. The one named Cody dropped to his knee and immediately saw the note attached to him. He looked up at the one called Zack and explained everyone else was in the jail cell. Even Porkers had to look at Zack when he asked if Porkers had told Cody that.

Well, Cody and Zack hadn't necessarily been helpful and ended up in the jail cell with everyone else. Porkers just sat next to Bailey as she held him and talked to him. It was a little while, but they all did eventually get out of jail, and it seemed Bailey was intent on taking Porkers with her. As his family was gone and the odds were he too could find himself gone soon, Porkers had nothing keeping him on Parrot Island. Of course, he did have one complaint thought – the quarantine. He didn't particularly care to be locked up in his own in solitude and his blood drawn for tests. But soon enough, he was out of there and reunited with Bailey.

Of course, that was when he met Ivana. From the start, they did not get along at all. Porkers was the smart, tough pig and Ivana was the pampered, spoiled dog. They had absolutely nothing in common, but were forced to co-exist as their humans London and Bailey shared a cabin. Almost from the beginning, there was a competition between the two. After what Bailey had done to save his life, Porkers didn't want to let her down. And soon, he learned the judge in their competition was going to be Cody.

From the very beginning of the competition, Porkers knew he was blowing Ivana out of the water. But, in the midst of the competition, Porkers couldn't help noticing something else. Whenever she wasn't looking, Cody was always looking and smiling at Bailey. At first, Porkers saw it as another way he knew the competition was in the bag. However, something happened at the very end that angered Porkers – Cody called it a draw! Porkers couldn't understand how he could have done that. Was he watching the same competition that everyone else was?

From that moment on, Porkers didn't really care for Cody. Anyone that blind had to have something seriously wrong with him. But, that wasn't to be the last Porkers heard the name Cody Martin. Throughout the next couple of months, Bailey was always talking to him about something Cody had done. Sometimes, it was good, and sometimes, it had made her down right angry. But, Porkers wasn't dumb. He couldn't help but notice that Bailey always talked to him about Cody way more than anyone else on the ship.

And then there was that one night. Bailey had finally come back to the cabin dressed in a white blouse and blue skirt. She just laid back on the bed, and Porkers could tell that she had the biggest smile on her face. He made his way up onto the bed next to her and began oinking. She looked up and smiled at him and began telling him how wonderful Cody was. She told him about the mulch festival Cody had recreated for her and how much it had meant to her. Porkers just sat there listening to her. While he still wasn't crazy about Cody, he had to admit that he couldn't be all that bad if he done all of that for Bailey. And then she told him something that almost made his curly tail straighten out in surprise. Bailey told him that she had fallen for Cody.

It wasn't long after that that Bailey came home another night and immediately told Porkers about her first real date with Cody. She told him about everything Cody had done to get her tickets to a concert she wanted to see and about the butterflies and electric jolt she got when she had kissed him. Porkers knew then that maybe it was time for him to rethink Cody and give him a second chance. He was very protective of Bailey, but it really seemed like this Cody cared about her a great deal.

After that night, he would be told stories of their dates, and he could always see how happy Bailey was afterwards. But soon enough, Porkers knew something was happening when he noticed Bailey beginning to pack her things. He soon realized that it was summer break and she was going home to the farm. That sounded good to Porkers, a chance to be on solid ground and be around other animals. Of course, he could have done without being stuck in a cage on the plane, but he slept through most of it.

Being on the farm had been great. He could run around and be around his own kind again. And of course, Bailey was there to take care of him everyday. He could tell she was happy to be home, but he also knew something was missing. However, on days Cody would send a letter or an e-mail, she always lit up when she read them to him. That's when he knew what was missing from her – Cody. At the end of the summer, Bailey had decided that the farm was a better place for him to be than on a cruise ship. He was very sad to see her leave him, but he also knew she was going back to Cody and that would make her happy.

With Bailey gone, her two younger sisters picked up the slack in taking care of him. And every so often, they would stop by and ready him a postcard that Bailey had sent him. She would tell him tales of life at sea and of her relationship with Cody. In one, she told him of meeting her new cousin for the first time and what that was like. And in another, she kept going on and on about how she and Cody had finally told each other that they loved each other. Porkers was happy that Bailey seemed so happy. And then get one one from her telling him all about their anniversary in Tokyo and another about meeting Cody's mother in Australia. About the time he knew she should be coming back to the farm, he received another postcard telling him that Bailey wasn't coming back for the summer but rather she was going to be in Boston with Cody.

That news had bummed him out, but she had promised to come see him over the summer. And she kept that promise. Towards the end of the summer, there she was one day. And she wasn't alone. She had Cody with her. He remembered Bailey saying that Cody had missed him too and wanted to say hello. Well, while Bailey was checking on some of the other animals, Cody dropped to his knee and talked to Porkers. Cody told him that he hoped there weren't any hard feelings from the contest with Ivana and went on to explain how he had to call it a tie after Ivana had cleared his brother's name. Porkers couldn't help but think back to his own brother, and he knew he understood now why Cody did what he did. Porkers decided that if Bailey loved him, he should give Cody another chance. The entire time they were at the farm, Cody was always with Bailey when she came to visit him. And one day, she was very excited when she told Porkers that they were going to find out if it would be okay for him to live with them at college.

Soon enough, Bailey was gone again back to school. However, her postcards kept coming. And most of the time, there would be a small message to him from Cody. Soon, winter was approaching and again, there was Bailey and Cody again. This time, she hugged Porkers and told him that everything was set and that he would be joining them in New Haven. Porkers could tell that she was very excited about it, and watched as Cody smiled at Bailey's happiness. It was then he knew it was true...Cody did in fact truly love his Bailey.

Life went on and postcards kept coming until it was summer again. The next thing he knew was Bailey's parents coming out to the barn with that carrier he had been in on the plane. And soon enough, he found himself on an airplane for the second time in his life. Several hours later, he could see through his cage that he was in the back of an SUV headed somewhere. When it finally stopped, he cage was lifted out and carried to a door. Once inside, he saw her...he saw his Bailey and he was so excited to see her. It took him a while to get out of that carrier, but once he did, he pretty much just followed Bailey around wherever she went. Well, except for that time when she asked him to keep Zack out of trouble.

Before long, Bailey showed him his bed in a room with a big desk. He found it very comfortable and got used to it immediately. And soon after, he found himself alone in the place with just Cody and Bailey. He soon learned that he was not just a college pig now, but an ivy league pig. During the day, Cody or Bailey one would leave him food and water and the other would take him out for his morning constitution, and then he would have the house to himself. At night, Cody would feed him while Bailey took him out in the backyard to run around and play with him. Once inside, Cody usually had dinner made for he and Bailey.

The one thing that did confuse Porkers was that Cody and Bailey would often have the door to their bedroom closed so he couldn't go in there. He never knew what was going on inside, but he often heard strange noises he had never heard before. At first, he feared Bailey was being hurt, but every time she came out of the room afterwards, she always had a huge smile and a glow to her. And Cody did as well. He figured whatever they were doing in there must be good for them if it caused them to look like that.

And several mornings, Cody would slip out of the bedroom and ask Porkers if he wanted to help fix Bailey breakfast. Porkers was always game for taking care of Bailey, and he was learning to accept that Cody was now a package deal with Bailey. So, Porkers just shrugged and tried to accept it. One morning, Porkers thought he was going to have to hurt Cody. He saw Cody cooking and began oinking at him. But Cody just turned to him, smiled and promised it was turkey bacon.

Porkers was growing very comfortable with his life. He would often spend hours watching them study together or curled up together on the couch. He was happy to be back with Bailey again. She still talked to him every time she took him outside, and that's when he learned that Cody had asked her to marry him. And Porkers was surprised that he was happy about that. That's when he realized he was no longer just Bailey's pig anymore. He had become Bailey and Cody's pig.

_To be Continued..._


	25. Two New Visitors

_Chapter 25_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The last couple of weeks of November flew by pretty quickly. And before long, it was the last day of classes before Thanksgiving break. Cody and Bailey had already called Zack and Cassie, and the plan was to meet them at a rest area on Sunday just past where Zack and Cassie would get on the interstate. On Saturday, Zack and Cassie were staying around campus for the UCONN football game. So, Cody and Bailey just spent the weekend hanging around New Haven.

On Friday night, they went on a double date with Max and Tapeworm to see a movie. There was a new Twilight movie coming out that Cody and Tapeworm were secretly praying wasn't chosen. Neither one of them could understand the point of those movies. But, Cody knew the odds of him eventually seeing it were pretty good. After all, Bailey had dragged him to all of the previous ones.

Fortunately though, the two girls decided they wanted to see the Puss in Boots movie instead. Both Cody and Tapeworm let out a sigh of relief over that one. Of course to outsiders, it was a strange sight. One couple who had just started dating, and the other who only needed to pick a day to get married. One was still in that awkward feeling each other out stage and nervous about doing anything inappropriate, and the other completely at ease with each other.

After the movie, they went to a coffee house on campus to get something warm to drink. Late November in Connecticut isn't exactly warm. It was one Cody and Bailey had been to before, and Cody had convinced them to make his special recipe concoction. They each ordered one while Max and Tapeworm ordered coffees.

"So, when are you two heading back to Boston?"

"Tomorrow afternoon..."

"Back to the Tipton?"

Cody smiled. "Where else?"

Max sighed. "I'd love to see that place again..."

Bailey paused. "Well, why don't you two stop by the ticket office and get tickets to the Harvard-Yale game and come up to Boston for it?"

"Really?"

"Sure. And then you can follow us back to New Haven on Sunday."

Max turns to Tapeworm. "What do you think?"

He shrugs. "Sounds good to me. We can meet back here in New Haven, and we can head over to Boston in one car together..."

"Sounds like a plan!"

Cody paused. "Why don't we head over there now? We'll trade our tickets in and maybe we can get two extra for Zack and Cassie..." He grins. "Show them how things are done in the ivy league..."

They grabbed their drinks and headed out. The lady working the ticket office wasn't happy that she was caught trying to leave. But since she was ready to get out of there for the week too, she just took Cody and Bailey's tickets and gave them six together. Looking at them, they realized they were on the 50 yard line and turned back to the lady, but she had already closed her window.

The two couples split up and said they would see each other Saturday morning before they did some tailgating. Returning home, Cody and Bailey began preparing to head to Boston the next day. They ran a couple loads of laundry and packed up everything they would need for Porkers in Boston. The next morning, all they had to do was pack up the bag they would need for the week. As Cody was putting their bag in the back seat, he noticed a car pulling behind Jo and Bill's side. Seeing the two people who got out only made Cody chuckle.

"Mr. Moseby...Miss Tutweiler...Good to see you both again."

Emma smiled at him. "You too, Cody. Where's Bailey?"

"Inside finishing up packing. You two want to come inside and see the place?"

"Sure."

Cody lead them inside. Bailey was still in their home office packing up their laptops as Porkers lounged in his bed watching her.

"Bails, we have visitors."

Bailey comes out and sees Moseby and Tutweiler. "Hey! What are you two doing here?"

Emma smiled. "We stopped to see my aunt and uncle while on Thanksgiving break."

Cody turned to them. "Wait a minute! Since when is Thanksgiving break a full week?"

Moseby laughed. "Starting this year. We thought it would make it easier for the students to get home..."

Cody just shook his head at that. "Any other changes you guys have made now that we're no longer there?"

Moseby paused to think. "Not really...But the ship is a lot quieter and more orderly nowadays...Speaking of which, how are Zack, Cassie, Woody and Addison?"

Bailey laughed. "There doing great. We're supposed to meet Zack and Cassie in a little while outside of Storrs and convoy back to Boston together."

Cody nods. "And Max and Tapeworm are going to meet us there on Saturday morning."

Moseby stared at Cody. "Max and Tapeworm?"

"You remember. Max is the girl you always called a boy and Tapeworm was the quiet one you thought was strange..."

"Ah yes...How are they?"

Bailey smiled. "Dating now. No one would ever mistake Max for a boy now, and Chester is a very nice, sweet guy..."

Moseby looked confused. "Chester?"

"Tapeworm."

At that moment, Porkers came trotting out of the home office and began oinking.

"And of course you both remember Porkers."

Moseby nods. "Ahh, yes. Nice to see you again, Porkers..." He paused and turned to Emma. "Was I just talking to a pig?"

Emma nodded and smiled. She turned back to Cody and Bailey. "So, how are classes going?"

"Well, thanks to our AP scores, we're both first year sophomores and have gotten our pre-reqs already out of the way. So, right now, we are both in the midst of classes for our double majors..."

"Double majors?"

Bailey smiled. "Yeah, we both are studying Economics and Biology. Mine is with a focus on pre-vet and Cody's is with a focus on pre-med."

"That's great! You guys miss having me for a teacher?"

Cody grinned. "We do, but we have your Uncle Bill picking up the slack..."

Moseby nodded. "So, pre-vet and pre-med, huh?" He pauses. "Why does the thought of having one of the Martin twins as a doctor scare me to death?"

Emma shook her head. "Don't listen to him...Have you two set a date yet?"

"Not yet, but London wants to produce our wedding..."

"Oh dear..."

"We haven't told her yes or no yet...Beyond knowing where we want to have it, we haven't discussed it all that much..."

"Kettlecorn or Boston?"

Bailey smiled. "Neither. We would like to do it on the S.S. Tipton. It seems appropriate as that's where we met and fell in love..."

Emma smiled back. "That sounds very romantic..."

Cody turned to Bailey and she nodded. Cody turned back to Moseby. "Actually, there is one other thing we have decided. We would like to ask a favor of you, Mr. Moseby..."

"What's that?"

"We're hoping that when we're ready, that you would officiate the ceremony..."

Moseby just stared at the both of them and felt his emotions coming to the surface. "Really?"

Bailey nodded. "We would be honored if you would..."

Moseby pulls them both into a hug. "I would be the one who would be honored...Of course I will!"

"Thank you..."

"You two just let me know when it is, and I'll be there..."

Cody smiled. "We hope you both will be there. I assume you two are still an item yourselves..."

Emma smiled again. "That we are..."

Bailey giggled. "Do we need to pull you two apart and sit you down for some talks?"

Emma and Moseby just looked at each other not sure exactly what to say.

"I was kidding..."

Moseby sighs in relief. "Thank goodness. Well, we should let you two finish getting ready to head out. Let us know once you do set a date, and we will be there. Now, its time I go meet the family..."

Cody grinned. "As someone who has been there before, its not that bad. And we've already told Jo and Bill _all_ about you..."

Moseby slumps and sighs. "Great..."

_To be Continued..._


	26. Heading Home

_Chapter 26_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Not longer after, Moseby and Tut went over to Jo and Bill's place, and Cody and Bailey continued packing up to head back to Boston. As he was loading the final items into the SUV, Bill came out of his side of the duplex. He asked Cody if he could talk to him for a second. Cody nodded and Bill briefly gave Cody an idea to think about. Cody promised he would bring it up to Bailey, and they would consider it.

A little while later, Cody, Bailey and Porkers were on I-91 towards Hartford. From there, they merged onto I-84. After driving a little ways, they pulled into a rest area to wait on Zack and Cassie. While they were stopped, they let Porkers out on his leash to let him stretch his legs and take care of his business before they made the final push on to Boston. As Porkers was finishing, Zack and Cassie pulled up along side of them.

"You guys ready to hit the road?"

"Just about, we have to get Porkers settled again..."

Cassie kneeled down and rubbed Porkers' head. "Good seeing you again..." Porkers oinked at her.

Cassie looked back up. "Why don't we switch and get caught up? I can ride with Bailey and Cody can ride with Zack..."

Everyone else shrugged and agreed. After kissing their respective boyfriends goodbye, the girls hopped into the Escape with Porkers while the guys hopped into the other SUV. Since Zack had the lead foot and the radar detector, the guys took the lead. Back in the girls vehicle, they began to chat.

"So, how are classes going so far?"

Cassie smiled. "So far, so good. We've both done pretty well so far..."

"That's great..."

"What about you two? Have things calmed down since Theo was taken away?"

Bailey smiled. "Thankfully. Though, we did go spend the day in New York several weeks ago. That was fun..."

"Did you get a chance to see London?"

"We did. And get this, she wants to broadcast our wedding live on her webshow..."

Cassie laughed. "Really?"

"And she wants to design my wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses too..."

Cassie shivered. "Ohhhh..."

Bailey laughed. "Tell me about it..."

"So, does this mean a date is closer to being set?"

"Not yet..."

"Not having second thoughts are you?"

Bailey shook her head. "Of course not. I will be Mrs. Cody Martin, its just neither of us feel a need to rush into it just yet. I mean, we already live together and spend all of our time together. Being married isn't going to change that any..."

Cassie nods. "So, you haven't thought about it at all?"

Bailey paused. "Well, we have decided on a few things..."

"Like what?"

"Well, we want to have it on the S.S. Tipton..."

Cassie smiled. "I like the sound of that. It'll be good to see that place again..."

"And we've asked Moseby to officiate it when the time comes..."

"Awww..."

Bailey laughed. "I know..."

"When did you talk to him?"

"He and Tut stopped in to visit her aunt this morning and we ran into them before we left ourselves..."

"So, they're still together?"

"It appears that way...Speaking of being together, I've got a surprise for you..."

"Oh yeah?"

"Guess who else is a couple now..."

Cassie shook her head. "Who?"

Bailey grinned. "Max and Tapeworm!"

"What?"

"Its true. We just had a double date with them on Friday..."

Cassie smiles. "I know I shouldn't be this happy about it, but its nice to know she has her own guy now..."

Bailey just shook her head and laughed.

Meanwhile, in the other SUV.

"What do you mean they have a full week off for Thanksgiving now?"

Cody shrugged. "That's what Moseby said..."

Zack just shook his head. "Unbelievable..."

Cody pauses. "Hey, we have a full week now too..."

"That's true...And we get another week for spring break next semester..."

"Really? Just a week?"

Zack turns to his brother. "Of course, we've always gotten a week for spring break..."

Cody grins. "We get two..." _(This is actually true. Yale has a two week spring break according to their academic calendar.)_

"What?"

"Don't look at me, I didn't make the academic calendar..."

Zack sighs. "Let me guess. You've already got some big grand spring break planned..."

"Not yet, but its not my call anyways. I made a bet with Bailey, and she won. She gets to choose what we do on spring break..."

Zack laughs. "What did you two bet on this time?"

Cody shrugs. "She thought Max and Tapeworm would end up a couple, and I thought she was wrong..."

Zack nods then turns to his brother. "What?"

Cody smiles. "Yeah...Max and Tapeworm are dating now..."

Zack just shakes his head. "I never saw that one coming..."

"Neither did I..." Cody paused. "Are you okay with that?"

"Of course I am. I'm surprised, but I never said I wasn't happy for them."

Cody nods. "Good. Because they are coming up next Saturday. We have six tickets to the Harvard-Yale game for all of us..."

Zack sighed. "Great. That should be like watching two mules fighting over a turnip..."

"Says the guy whose college just lost to Louisville...Louisville! Home of Coach 15 seconds..."

"We're having a down year...Besides, we're a basketball school anyways..."

"Uh huh..."

"Its true!..." Zack sighs. "How are things going down there anyways post Theo?"

Cody smiled. "Very laid back. We go to class, we come home, we do our homework, we cook dinner and we spend some alone time together..."

"Sounds boring..."

"Not at all. We love the life we lead. Besides, we still find time for romance..."

"What about time for fun?"

"Zack, we have fun. Its just our idea of fun isn't the same as yours. What have you been doing anyways?"

"Well, all four of us have been pledging this semester..."

Cody smiled again. "I should have saw that one coming..."

"Why don't you pledge one yourself?"

"There isn't much of a Greek life on campus, and the ones there are basically fronts for the athletic teams. Besides, the main groups on campus are the senior societies like Skull and Bones..."

"Oooo...My little bro is going to be in a secret society..." Zack begins to laugh.

Cody rolled his eyes. "Yeah right...I seriously doubt that's going to happen..."

Zack was about to say something when he noticed the Boston skyline in the distance. "Hey, looks like we're home..."

Cody nods. "Yeah. Its good to be home for a little while..."

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: I figured I'd pass along this quote from Debby Ryan on her facebook page:**_  
_

I have gotten so many letters about the Bailey and Cody breakup. It's really sweet to hear how you feel about their relationship. I am also a fan of the Cailey combo. They are such nerds and the things that bind them together (ie lab rat, being the teacher's pet) are so funny and cute. The episodes we did in the aftermath of their breakup are so sad. 


	27. Thinking Ahead

_Chapter 27_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

When they finally got into Boston proper, they made their way for the Tipton. Upon arriving there, they pulled into the underground garage and parked. Everyone got out and stretched, and the guys grabbed their bags. Bailey took care of getting Porker's travel case while Cassie grabbed his bed, and they made their way to the elevator. Once in the lobby, they immediately ran in Esteban. After he welcomed them, he informed them that their suite from last Christmas was ready for them. The four looked at Esteban in confusion, but he smiled and told them Mr. Tipton had directed that they would always have a suite when they were home on break.

After getting their keys, they made their way up to their suite and got settled in. Once done, they leashed up Porkers and made their way down to the 23rd floor. They knocked on the door to their old suite, and Carey opened the door. Carey immediately pulled all four of them into a hug, and she even hugged Porkers after he oinked that he had been left out. She got everyone inside and let them relax.

"So, how are classes going so far?"

Zack smiled. "We're doing great. All those forced study hours my fraternity and Cassie's sorority have are actually paying off..."

"Wonderful!" She looks to Cody and Bailey. "And yours?"

Cody smiled. "Well...You know us..."

Carey smiled back. "That well, huh?"

Bailey laughed. "We're doing fine...It helps having the professor for two of your classes right next door. We know our test grades immediately after he grades them..."

"I guess you go right into finals when you get back, huh?"

Cassie nodded. "Pretty much, we have two weeks of classes left and then finals..."

Bailey turned to her cousin. "You guys don't get a reading week?"

"A what?"

"We have one week of classes left when we get back and the week after that is reading week. Its a chance to catch up on all of your reading you missed during the semester."

Cassie sighed. "Nope, don't have that..."

Zack smirked. "That must be nice...A two week spring break and a reading week..."

Cody shrugged. "It just means we have our last Chem and Bio labs the week we get back."

Carey nods. "So, I guess you'll soon be registering for next semester, huh?"

Bailey nods. "Yeah, we have a meeting scheduled with Bill early in reading week."

"Well, I have a surprise for all of you. Looks like we are going to have several people in this week for Thanksgiving..."

Zack turns to his mom. "Yeah? Who?"

Carey smiles. "Your grandma, your great uncle, your cousin Michelle, her mother Amy, and your twin cousins..."

Cody smiles. "So...We finally get to meet them..."

Carey nods. "Yeah. The get in on Wednesday..."

"Well, if you want, Mom, I can ask Chef Paulo to let me borrow the auxiliary kitchen to cook the meal..."

"You think he'll mind?"

"He shouldn't...But I'll ask him tonight or in the morning to make sure. If its a problem, we can just use the kitchens in here and in our suite..."

Carey shrugs. "Either way..."

Zack grins. "Is Arwin joining us?"

Carey sighs. "Yes, he is..."

Cody decides to try to change the subject. "Oh yeah, Mom. Max and Tapeworm will be meeting us here on Saturday morning to go to the Yale-Harvard game..."

Carey smiles. "Wonderful. It'll be good to see them again."

The rest of the evening was filled with making dinner again for everyone, and then Zack, Cassie, Bailey and Cody returning to their suite for the night. Before turning in, Cody and Bailey took Porkers downstairs for his nightly walk. As they stood there waiting on him, Cody mused to Bailey if it was possible to train Porkers to use a litter box or even use the toilet itself. He figured if dogs and cats could, surely a smart pig like Porkers could. Bailey could only roll her eyes and laugh while Cody had a plan formulating in his mind. Once Porkers was done, they returned to their suite and left the pig sprawled out on his pillow. Inside their room, both Cody and Bailey got ready for bed and snuggled in close together.

Cody wrapped his arms around Bailey. "You know, we do have a lot to do in the next couple of weeks..."

Bailey turned to face him. "Yeah? Like what?"

"Well, we need to check the schedule for next semester to get an idea of what we want to take in the spring. We also need to prepare for our other test Saturday after next. And soon, we need to start inquiring about summer positions around New Haven..." Cody smiled. "Plus, you haven't told me what we are doing on spring break yet..."

Bailey smiled back at him. "Because I haven't decided yet..."

"If you say so..."

"I do have it narrowed down to two places though..."

"Are you going to tell me what those are?"

Bailey grinned. "Nope..."

Cody just shook his head. "I'll remember this..."

"As for the others, we have all week to quiz ourselves, and next week when we finish our homework. Classes, we can pull up the schedule and bulletin online and see what fits our curriculum. As for summer positions...well..."

Cody smiles. "Don't have an answer for that one, huh?"

Bailey sighs. "No, I don't..."

"You know, it might be in our best interests to try to find something in the biology field. I can call George Daniels and see if he knows of contacts in the New Haven area..."

Bailey nods. "Good idea. I could even look for a position in an animal hospital. I can call my old boss Rachel and see if she has any connections too..."

"Might be a good idea for us to do that tomorrow. Go ahead and get the ball rolling..."

"Yeah...That might be prudent."

Cody paused. "Speaking of figuring out our classes, there is something Bill mentioned to me earlier today that I had forgot about until just now..."

"What's that?"

"Well, with all of our AP credits, its possible for us to graduate in three years if we choose to..."

Bailey paused. "Really?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah, if we want to. It may take a couple of summer classes, but its possible..."

"Huh...I hadn't thought of that...What do you think?"

"Well...we know we both want to go to grad school afterwards, so that puts us there a year earlier and out a year earlier..."

"That's true..."

"But Bails, it doesn't matter to me either way. As long as I'm with you, that's what matters to me..."

Bailey paused to think. "That would put us both in grad school a year sooner that we had planned which would move up our taking the MCAT, LSAT or GRE a year earlier as well as our applications to grad schools..."

Cody nodded. "Yeah, it would..."

Bailey paused again and smiled. "You know what else it could do?"

"What's that?"

"If we graduated in three years, we'd both be 21 when we graduated..."

"Yeah, we would..."

"We could schedule the wedding the summer in between graduation and beginning grad school..."

Cody smiled. "Yeah...I guess we could...So, is this something we are thinking about doing?"

Bailey nodded. "I say we go for it!"

"Does this mean we also may be this closer to setting a date?"

Bailey smiled. "It sure does..."

_To be Continued..._


	28. Networking

_Chapter 28_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next morning, Cody and Bailey headed downstairs before they started their days. At breakfast, Chef Paulo easily agreed to Cody's request to use the auxiliary kitchen with one request. He would help Cody cook it if he and a guest could join them. Cody agreed immediately. After that, they both headed downtown to the Tipton office building at which they had spent the last two summers working. In the lobby, they split, and each headed to their old offices.

Bailey walked into the reception area and immediately saw Margie the receptionist at her usual post. After a small chat catching up with each other, Bailey asked if Rachel was available. Ten minutes later, Bailey found herself sitting in the office of her old boss.

"So, how is Yale going so far?"

Bailey smiled. "Its going great. Its challenging but nothing I don't think I can handle..."

Rachel smiled. "I figured as much. I also need to thank you and Cody for taking good care of my niece..."

Bailey was surprised. "Your niece?"

"Max..."

"Oh my gosh! Both are Bakers...I never put two and two together..."

"Its okay. Baker is fairly common name. But, she's told me that you and Cody have made her being away from her family a lot easier.."

"Well, Max is great. Its nice to have another friend there."

"I also understand you were influential in getting her together with her current boyfriend..."

Bailey smiled. "I may have pushed a little bit..."

Rachel laughs. "Well, thank you for that. My niece seems genuinely happy. So, Bailey, what can I do for you today?"

"Well, I was hoping to ask you a favor. Next summer, Cody and I will be staying in New Haven, so I won't be able to come back here. I was wondering if you knew of any places in New Haven that I should look to for a possible summer job."

"What are you looking to do?"

"I'm double majoring in economics and biology with a pre-vet focus. Preferably, something that would be good for pre-vet..."

Rachel smiled. "Saying you didn't like environmental studies?"

"Oh no. I loved working here. I just thought I should get some hands on experience working in the animal field. I will always remember my time working for Tipton Industries with fondness..."

"You know...you could do both..."

Bailey wasn't following her. "What do you mean?"

"Tipton Industries is always looking for tax breaks. One such way it did was operating animal shelters. As such, we have a full time vet on staff for the shelters. She is looking to retire in about ten years. That would be plenty of time for you to finish college and vet school and train under her before she retires..."

Bailey was taken aback. "Are you serious?"

"Of course..."

"Do I have any chance of getting an opportunity like that?"

Rachel smiled. "Oh, I think you would have an excellent chance of it..."

Bailey smiled. "That sounds absolutely wonderful..."

"It should. You'd get paid like a vet plus all the benefits of working for Tipton Industries..."

Bailey laughed. "Okay, that doesn't sound half bad either..."

"Tell you what. She's currently out of town for the holiday, but will you be coming back to Boston over Christmas?"

Bailey nods. "Yeah. We're going back to Kettlecorn first, but we'll be flying back into Boston on Christmas Day..."

"Good. I'll set up a chance for you two to meet after the first of the year..."

"Thank you!"

"As for New Haven, let me make some phone calls...I can call you once I find out a few things..."

Meanwhile, on a different floor, Cody is sitting in George Daniels's office.

"So, how are things down at my old alma mater?"

Cody smiled. "So far, so good..."

"What are you studying?"

"Economics and Biology with a focus on pre-med..."

George laughs. "Sounds ambitious..."

Cody laughs too. "Well, I'm still deciding between law school and med school. I figure with those two, I can wait to choose. And Bailey is doing the same except her focus in pre-vet..."

"I can understand that. So, are we going to get you back next summer?"

Cody sighs. "I'm afraid not. Bailey and I have a yearly lease in New Haven, so, we'll be staying there..."

George sighs. "Too bad..."

"I know. I have to start looking for something there for next summer..."

"What are you looking for exactly?"

"Well, I've already had great experiences here, I figured I should try something in the medical field so I can compare them..."

George nods. "Smart thinking. You thinking more clinical or more research oriented?"

Cody smiles. "Right now, I think I would take what I could get..."

George laughs. "Don't give me that! Remember, I know what you are capable of..."

Cody laughs too. "Yeah, but what good does that do me?"

George just shakes his head. "You forget. Tipton Industries takes care of its own...You remember Dr. Miller?"

Cody nods. "Yeah, he's Mr. Tipton's doctor...and the guy who gave me both of my physicals..."

"Exactly. Well, he's a Yale alum too. Let me give him a call and see what ideas he has. Will you be back in Boston over Christmas?"

"Yeah, we're going to be with Bailey's family before Christmas before we fly back into Boston early Christmas morning..."

"Good. By then, I may have a few ideas for you..."

"I would appreciate that..."

"So, I'm guessing you and Bailey will be trying to go to a school together that has a good med or law and vet school?"

"Ideally, yeah..."

"May I make a suggestion for you to look at then?"

George goes on to tell Cody something that he might want to discuss with Bailey.

Later, Cody and Bailey met back up in the lobby and head back outside to sit on a unseasonably warm November day in Boston. While there, they fill each other in on what the former bosses told them, and both were pleased at the other's news.

Bailey turned to Cody. "So, back to the Tipton?"

Cody paused. "What would say to an unexpected stop first?"

"Sure. Where are we going?"

Cody smiled. "Its a surprise..."

Bailey smiled and shrugged. "Okay. I've never been disappointed in one of your surprises yet..."

_To be Continued..._


	29. Meeting New Family Members

_Chapter 29_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

After making their pit stop, Cody and Bailey were sitting together on the subway heading back to the Tipton.

"So, what did you think?"

Bailey smiled. "Its certainly an idea to consider..."

Cody nodded. "Its an option for us. But, I was thinking about something..."

"What's that?"

"You seemed really excited about taking over as the vet for the Tipton animal shelters..."

"Yeah, I would know I was making a difference in the animals' lives..."

"I know, but it would mean us living here in Boston. We've never really discussed where we were going to put down roots after we were done with school..."

Bailey turned to him. "Do you not want to come back to Boston?"

"Bails, I love Boston, but I love you more. I'm willing to go wherever you want to go..."

Bailey smiled. "Even Kettlecorn?"

Cody smiled. "Even Kettlecorn. I could open up my own practice there and be known as Old Doc Martin..." Cody paused and frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"That would make me sound like a shoe..."

Bailey laughed. "Or a character from 90210..."

Cody laughed too. "Speaking of which, if we have a daughter, we can't name her Donna..."

"Agreed. Or a son named Steve..."

"But, back to my original point. Would you be happy living in Boston?"

Bailey paused. "Yeah, I would. I've loved all of my time here..."

Cody smiled. "Maybe you should experience a full New England winter before you decide anything..."

Bailey laughed. "You keep saying how bad they are. I'm sure it will be nothing. Its not like it never snowed in Kansas. And I handled our stop in Sweden just fine..."

"That's true...and you did look adorable...when you weren't flinging fish at me..."

"Cody, all that really matters to me is that we are together. After that, it doesn't really matter..."

Cody smiled. "I couldn't agree more..."

"Besides, nothing is definite yet, so we shouldn't assume that any of this will even happen..."

"You're right..."

Bailey smiled. "Though, if it did, we'd have an large list of potential babysitters some day..."

Cody smiled. "All of which would have to fight off Grandma Carey..."

After returning back to the Tipton, Cody and Bailey returned to their room with their Trivial Pursuit cards and other trivia sources and took turns quizzing each other. Since Monday afternoon and Tuesday were all they time they would have before family arrived, they decided to focus their time then on preparing. They even confused Zack and Cassie when they begged off of going to see a movie on Monday night. At the end of Tuesday night, both felt pretty good as to their level of preparedness.

Wednesday brought the onslaught of family. Since they were picking up six people, the four teens were sent on airport duty. Waiting at baggage claim, they finally spotted their grandmother and great uncle coming. They recognized Amy and Michelle from their brief meeting of them as well. The ones they didn't recognize were two blond twin girls. And like Zack and Cody, they were identical twins. After Ellie hugged everyone, she began to make introductions.

"Amy, Michelle...You remember my grandson Zack, his girlfriend Cassie, my other grandson Cody and his fiancee, Bailey..."

Amy and Michelle smiled and nodded. "Of course, and Congratulations on the engagement..."

Bailey smiled. "Thank you."

Michelle turned. "And these are my granddaughters, Katie and Zoey..."

Everyone made their greetings, but Bailey and Cassie looked at each other and smiled. It was not lost on them how close the names were – Cody/Katie and Zack/Zoey. After grabbing the bags, everyone split into the two vehicles. Ellie, Mitch and Amy climbed in with Zack and Cassie while Michelle and the twin girls climbed in with Cody and Bailey. All the way back to the Tipton, both cars were full of conversations.

The rest of Wednesday evening was spent with everyone hanging out and playing catch up or getting to know each other. The next morning, Cody and Bailey got up early, and both made their way down to the auxiliary kitchen where Chef Paulo was waiting on them. To everyone's surprise, two more showed up to help cook – Ellie and Katie. Soon, everyone was busy preparing the dish in front of them. Once everything was done or in the oven, they took a break.

To everyone's surprise, it was Katie who first spoke up. "So, you two met at a high school on a cruise ship?"

Cody smiled and nodded. "We sure did. Seven Seas High."

Katie sighed. "That sounds like so much fun...Traveling the world, seeing new places..."

This time Bailey smiled. "It was..."

"I wish I could go on something like that. But, our Mom is afraid Zoey would cause havoc..."

Cody suppressed a laugh. "Oh really?"

Katie nods. "Yeah. We're about as different as night and day as far as twins go..."

This time, it was Ellie, Cody, Bailey and even Chef Paulo who were suppressing laughs.

"What?"

"Don't worry about that. That's par for the course in this family..."

"So, you and Zack aren't alike?"

Cody finally laughs. "Not at all...Zack was the one who actually did cause chaos on board..."

"Really?"

Bailey laughed this time. "Oh yeah..."

Katie sighs again. "I would love to go to school on a ship like that. Besides being educational, I just imagine it can be very romantic..."

Bailey smiled. "Oh, it can be..."

"So, you two are really engaged and freshmen at Yale?"

Cody smiled. "Well, technically engaged and first year sophomores..."

"I wish something like that could happen to me..."

Bailey smiled at her again. "It can. Don't give up. Keep working on your mother. If she needs more convincing, have her talk to the four of us. We'll all give Seven Seas High glowing reviews..."

Katie smiles. "I will..." She pauses. "Mind if I go call her about it again?"

Cody grinned. "Go for it...And, if by chance you do get her to change her mind, when you get there you'll meet a man named Mr. Moseby. Make sure you tell him that you and Zoey are Zack's and my cousins..."

Katie pauses. "Why do I get the feeling I shouldn't?"

Bailey laughs again. "I think you should. I think he's getting too laid back nowadays..."

Katie nods and heads back upstairs. Once she's gone, Ellie corners them.

"Alright, you two have been engaged eight months now. Any new developments?"

Bailey turned to Cody and he nodded. She turned back to Ellie. "We think so, but we're keeping it on the down low until we know if its possible..."

Ellie smiled. "If what's possible?"

"Well, we think we may be able to graduate from Yale in three years. If we can, we think we might have the wedding the summer in between graduation and starting grad school..."

Ellie nods. "That sounds reasonable...That would be summer 2014. Alright, we have a time line, do we have a location?"

Cody smiled and nodded. "Yeah...The S.S. Tipton..."

Ellie grins. "Perfect. Neither family can get upset by having the wedding where you met and fell in love..."

Bailey smiles. "Exactly..."

"Alright, what else do you have?"

"Well, our friend London has offered to pay for everything if we let her air the wedding live on her webshow..."

Ellie nods and thinks. "Okay...Well, that's a decision up to you guys..."

Cody nods. "We know...We've discussed it and haven't come up with a decision yet. We're kind of afraid we'll lose control over our wedding if we agree to it..."

Ellie shakes her head. "Cody...I'm surprised at you."

"Huh?"

"Aren't you the same one who negotiated his own contract with her to be the producer of her show?"

"Well, yeah..."

"Then you can negotiate a way to keep control of your wedding then too if you so choose too..."

Cody turns to Bailey. "She has a point..."

Bailey nods. "Yeah..."

Ellie smiles. "Alright, what else?"

"That's pretty much it so far...except we've asked Mr. Moseby to officiate it when the time is right."

"Well, if there is anything else you two need help with or want someone to bounce ideas off of, don't hesitate to give me a call. I've already planned one wedding recently..."

Cody and Bailey look at her in surprise.

Ellie grins. "You two told me something in confidence, so I'm going to tell you something. Mitch and Amy got married not too long ago!"

_To be Continued..._


	30. Pushing on Towards Finals

_Chapter 30_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody and Bailey just stood there in total shock.

"They're married?"

Ellie smiled. "Yep."

"But...but..."

"Don't worry, no one knows except Michelle and I. They did need two witnesses afterall..."

Cody shakes his head. "But why not tell anyone?"

Ellie shrugs. "They just wanted something simple and quiet..."

Bailey smiled. "Well, I guess that answers the question of where those two stand now..."

Ellie laughs. "Tell me about it. But, I'm happy for them, and all I can say is that is was about time..."

Cody nods. "I can see that..."

Ellie grins. "And by 2014, everyone will be saying the same thing about you two!"

Bailey smiled. "Probably...But, we will have been together for over five years by then. That sounds about right..."

Ellie rolls her eyes. "Yeah, right. For all practical purposes, you two have already been married for a year and a half now..."

Thanksgiving dinner that afternoon was delicious, and everyone got a chance to meet Chef Paulo's guest – his newest girlfriend. She was his new sous chef and protege. He had to pull Cody aside and explain that she was now his newest favorite protege. Cody just laughed and said he understood. After dinner, Cody and Bailey kept waiting for Mitch and Amy to make an announcement, but they never did. But neither were going to force anything as they knew what it was like to keep their future plans to themselves.

Friday was spent just spending time with the family. At one point, Bailey was able to pull Amy aside and secretly welcome her to the family. Amy was surprised she knew but smiled, and said it looked like Bailey was the next to join. And on Friday, the four teens received a phone call from their second cousin, Katie's and Zoey's mom. They all four took turns convincing her of the merits of Seven Seas High and finally got her to agree to it. After the phone call, Zack wanted to immediately call Mr. Moseby, but everyone else convinced him that it would be a lot better if he was surprised by their arrival.

Saturday morning saw the departure of Ellie, Mitch, Amy, Michelle, Katie and Zoey back to Seattle. Everyone promised to keep in touch, and Katie and Zoey thanked the four teens for their help with their mom. And not long after the six departed for the airport, Max and Tapeworm arrived. Both took their time taking in the Tipton again, and they said their hellos to Esteban, Carey and Arwin. Soon, they all piled into Zack and Cassie's SUV for a day of tailgating. Along with them, they had an assortment of goodies Cody had made as well as a cooler full of cold drinks and a large thermos of hot chocolate. Zack had also managed to borrow a set of cornhole boards for them to have fun with.

To say that tailgating was the highlight of the game experience would be an understatement. The tailgate was a full on party where the heated rivalry did escalate into shouting matches. However, the game itself couldn't match that muster. For two storied programs of lore, both had fallen on hard times. Zack had been right – it did resemble two mules fighting over a turnip. Both offenses were anemic, but it wasn't due to any great efforts by the defenses. Finally, in the fourth quarter, Yale was able to return a kick to the Harvard 5-yard line. Three plays later, they were forced to kick a field goal which gave the final score – 3-0. Of course, leaving the stands, the level of enthusiasm by the Yale alums would have made you think it had been a blowout.

Returning back to the Tipton, everyone hung out before they headed out into the city. Max and Tapeworm hadn't been back to Boston in so long, they wanted to see some of their former hangouts. So, after a night of just doing that, everyone returned back to the suite where Max and Tapeworm each took one of the couches in the living room area.

The next day, everyone had brunch with Carey and Arwin before they loaded up all of their vehicles to make their ways back to campus. Around noon, a convoy of three vehicles made their its west. Before too long, the convoy split as Zack and Cassie left the interstate to head back to Storrs. Cody, Bailey, Max and Tapeworm continued on to Hartford before heading south towards New Haven. Once back in New Haven, the two cars split as Cody and Bailey made their way home. Once there, they let Porkers out to stretch and walk around while Cody unloaded the car.

Once home, they proceeded to finish up the reading for their Monday classes. After that, it was just a quiet evening at home getting used to being back on campus. The next week went by without any problems. They finished their final Chemistry and Biology labs and were happy to have two of their classes done for the semester. Further, they both felt really good going into reading week knowing that they had both already done all of their assigned reading for the semester, so they could use it as a time to just study.

Saturday was their Jeopardy test. They were in a conference room with about ten other teams of two. Both had expected that they would both have to take a test, but were surprised when the ten teams were separated into ten different rooms so they could take the test as a pair. Well, being able to work together, both felt really good about how they did. There were some off the wall categories like 18th Century French Poetry, but of course, that was something both knew quite a bit about.

After the test, they were surprised that there was a short interview process. Cody and Bailey found themselves in their testing room with an assistant show producer.

"So, how long have you two known each other?"

Bailey smiled. "Almost three and a half years now..."

The producer turns back to her notes. "Let me get this straight...You two went to high school on a cruise ship?"

Cody nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Seven Seas High. It where me met, fell in love and both graduated as valedictorians."

The producer looks up. "Fell in love?"

Bailey nodded. "Yes. Cody and I are engaged right now."

"Really..."

"Yes."

The producer sits back and smiles. "So, let me get this straight in my mind. The country girl from Kansas meets the city boy from Boston at a high school on a cruise ship, fall in love, get engaged and now are both at Yale together..."

Cody smiles. "Pretty much..."

The producer just shakes her head. To herself, she thought if their test scores were in the top three, she had just found her Team Yale. These two were too good to pass up. "Well, I appreciate you both coming in for the test today. We'll be in touch."

Bailey smiled as they gathered their things. "Thank you for the opportunity..."

The rest of the weekend was spent taking it easy, and a final double date with Max and Tapeworm on Saturday night. After that, everyone was going to be in study and finals mode. One last night of doing nothing but having fun was definitely on the menu. Monday of reading week brought with it Cody and Bailey's meeting with Bill for spring scheduling.

Bill smiled as they walked in to his office. "I hope you two aren't too heartbroken about not being in class this morning..."

Cody chuckled. "I think we'll live...But, we do need to get back and continue studying..."

Bill rolled his eyes. "I hope not for my exams. You two could not show up for them and still get B's..."

Bailey smiled. "We don't want B's..."

Bill laughed. "I didn't think you did. Alright, let's get down to business then. Fortunately for you both, med school and vet school and have many of the same pre-requisites. With your AP credits and courses this semester, all you have left to take is a second semester of Organic Chemistry with lab, Genetics and Biochemistry..." Bill chuckles. "You both were really lucky to take care of your Physics and Inorganic Chemistry requirements already."

Cody nods. "Sure looks that way..."

"Well, I would suggest finishing off Organic Chemistry and then choosing Biochemistry or Genetics..."

Cody turned to Bailey. "What do you think?"

Bailey paused. "Well, I would prefer Genetics, but I think we should see which one fits our schedule better..."

Cody nodded. "Good idea."

Bill nods. "Moving on, as for your economics side, you both have AP credit for intro micro and intro macro, and you're completing Intermediate Micro and Intermediate Macro this semester. Yale requires 12 courses for the degree, so you will both already have four completed after this semester..." Bill paused. "Have you two thought about graduating in three years?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah, if its possible."

"Alright, that means eight more courses in 5 semesters. If I were you, I would go with a course in Econometrics. You have all the math requirements out of the way, so I would say go for an elective that interests you..."

Cody paused and smiled. "What are you teaching next semester?"

Bill laughs. "Can't get enough, huh?"

Bailey smiled. "Nope."

"Well, I am teaching a course in Econometrics..."

"Perfect!"

"And I'm teaching a course in Intro to Probability and Statistics..."

"Perfect again!"

Bill laughed. "I hope you guys like being up early then. One is Monday/Wednesday 9-10:15 and the other is Tuesday/Thursday 9-10:15..."

Cody grins. "Even better. If a bad snowstorm hits, we'll be the first to know if you can't make it to class..."

"That's true..." Bill turns to his computer and types in a few things. "Alright, you're both in those courses." He clicks a his mouse a few times. "Alright, Organic Chem II has classes on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays at 11:00, how does that work?"

Bailey nods. "Sounds good."

"Alright, we'll, we still have your afternoons open...There is a Genetics course on Tuesday/Thursday at 11-12:15...Leaving afternoons open again for labs..."

Cody and Bailey nod again. "Looks like all we need is labs then..."

Bill clicks away on his keyboard again. "Alright, four down now. There is an Organic Lab II on Tuesdays from 1-3 and a Genetics Lab on Thursdays from 1-3. How about those?"

"I think we've got it..."

Bill enrolls them and turns to print out their schedules for them. "Alright, six classes, 16 hours again, and only one class on Fridays..." Bill looks up at them. "Most seniors would kill for a schedule like that..."

Bailey smiled. "Well, they need a better adviser then..."

Bill laughs. "Maybe so..." He pauses. "But I should tell you both. You are both right on schedule to graduate in May of '14."

Returning back to their apartment, Bailey and Cody are discussing what Bill had said.

Bailey paused. "Should we announce our plans now?"

Cody thought for a minute. "Well, that would be us taking a risk that nothing will happen..." He paused and smiled. "We don't we wait and announce it at Christmas?"

Bailey just smiled. "Of course, this also means we need to make a phone call to London..."

_To be Continued..._


	31. The End of the Semester

_Chapter 31_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Reading week came and went. The entire time, Cody and Bailey devoted spending one day to each of their remaining four classes. And by Friday, both felt prepared. At Yale, finals began that Saturday and and ran through the following Saturday with exams at set times of 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM with the occasional evening exams for large classes. Cody and Bailey were set to take their Biology final first thing Saturday morning. Microeconomics would be the next day, Sunday, at 2:00 PM. Micro was scheduled for Tuesday morning with Organic Chemistry I being their last final on Wednesday night.

And Bill had been right. On one of their breaks, they, for fun, figured up what they needed to get their A's in the classes. Needless to say, they didn't have to do that well. But, that wouldn't be them not to give their absolute bests. And that's what they did. By the end of Wednesday evening, both slumped back on to their couch reveling in the fact that their first semester of college was completed. Of course, they didn't have much time to rest.

On Sunday morning, they were scheduled to meet with Zack and Cassie again at the rest area and head for Boston again. But, they would only be at the Tipton long enough for them to park their cars and catch the hotel shuttle to the airport to catch their flight to Wichita. They all decided that would be easier than flying out of Hartford, and then having to drive from Hartford to Boston on Christmas Day.

But, before they could head home for Christmas, they still needed to do their Christmas shopping. Of course, both had already secretly completed their shopping for each other. Bailey had gone out with Max during reading week and finished her shopping for Cody, and Cody had done likewise with Tapeworm. Now, they just had to finish their shopping for everyone else. The spent all day Thursday in between the school bookstore and the local shopping mall. When they got home, they wrapped up everyone's gifts, separated them in a Kettlecorn pile and a Boston pile and boxed them up. They were still debating whether it would be cheaper to mail the gifts to Kettlecorn or pay to take them on the plane. Eventually, they decided to keep them with them and not risk it getting lost in the mail.

Friday was just spent relaxing around the house and snow flurries began to fall outside. Bailey could only sigh as she watched the snow fly, but Porkers looked up at her as if she was crazy when she wanted to take him out in it. But Cody leaned down and whispered something to him that he hoped would help Porkers avoid more walks out in the snow. Porkers looked at Cody skeptically. There was one important matter to do that day though. The sat on the couch together with one of their laptops watching the newest episode of Yay Me! When London went to her mail bag, she had a surprise waiting for her.

"_Okay, our next message is from...Cailey in Connecticut. She tells me that they would like to talk to me about something important..." London looked up. "Well, Cailey, I know you would like to talk to me personally. Everyone does..." London looked back down at the next message. "Ohhh...Cailey is Cody and Bailey...Why are you two interrupting my show again?" London looks back down again. "Yay! They want to talk to me about the wedding!"_

After her show was over, Cody and Bailey had a webcam chat with London where they told London that if she agreed to their terms, they would agree to let her air the wedding. London shrugged and said to name their terms. Cody just smiled and said they would have another contract for her after Christmas. London agreed, and they wished each other a Merry Christmas.

Saturday was spent doing laundry and packing up their bags. Outside, snow continued to fall, but it wasn't coming down that hard. Snow was blanketing the ground, but the roads were completely clear. Cody constantly got updates on the weather, and he was concerned with a storm that was possibly due to hit Sunday afternoon. To be on the safe side, he called Zack and suggested they all meet earlier to give them more time just in case. Zack thought Cody was being overly cautious but ended up agreeing. The rest of Saturday was spent hanging around the house.

At one point, Bill stopped by their place with good news for them.

"I just figured you two would like to know you both finished with A's in both my courses..."

Again, Cody and Bailey high fived each other. "Thanks, Bill. We hope we can keep up the good work next semester..."

Bill smiled as he left. "You better! Have a Merry Christmas!"

Knowing that some grades were done now, Cody and Bailey checked the online registrar's website. Bill's grades weren't up yet, but their grades for their labs were. So far, they were four for four with A's so far with Organic Chemistry and Biology yet to be posted.

Sunday morning found them getting up early. Snow was continuing to fall. So, while Bailey was taking care of last minute details inside, Cody was outside sweeping the snow off the back driveway. While he was at it, he swept off Jo and Bill's as well. Soon, Porkers was ready, and they were all packed up ready to head out. About an hour later, they once again met up with Zack and Cassie and began their drive to Boston. Another hour later, they found themselves parked in the parking garage several hours before their flight was scheduled to leave. The briefly spoke with Carey and dropped off their Boston gifts in her suite. Not wanting to dawdle, they were soon in the airport shuttle on their way to Logan Airport.

Several hours later, they found themselves landing in Wichita. As usual, Kurt and Sarah were there to pick them up. As they drove back to Kettlecorn, they all caught up with each other about how college was going. The two couples took turns catching everyone up with the goings on at UCONN and Yale. Both talked about the classes they had just finished and what they were scheduled to take the next semester. After a couple of hours, they found themselves pulling back up to the Pickett farmhouse.

Instead of immediately running into the house, Bailey let Porkers out so he could run around too. After that, Bailey was off like a bullet inside to see her family. Zack just shook his head at his younger brother, and Cody just smiled and shrugged. They proceeded to unload the bags from the back of the minivan and carry them inside. Once inside, they noticed the house was full of family. And for some, it was the first time they had seen Bailey and Cody since their engagement. After rounds of hugs and handshakes, everyone finally got a chance to catch their breaths. After that, Zack and Cassie took their things to a guest room and Cody and Bailey took theirs to Bailey's old room.

After settling in, it was time for dinner. After dinner, everyone else began making their way back to their own homes or out to do something else. Eventually, the only ones left at the table were Cody, Bailey, Maggie, Joe, Kurt and Sarah.

Joe smiled at his daughter and future son-in-law. "Well, looks like your first semester was a rousing success..."

Bailey nodded. "Yeah, it was. We just worked together and it turned out great. And we have the same schedule together next year as well..."

Joe laughed. "Won't be too long before we're back up there for another graduation..."

Everyone else at the table laughed except Cody and Bailey who just looked at each other.

Kurt noticed. "Something we're missing?"

Cody turned to Bailey again and she nodded. Cody turned back to his Dad. "It might be sooner than you think..."

Maggie spoke up. "What do you mean?"

"Mom, we may have just completed our first semester of college, but we both already have close to fifty hours of college credit..."

"But, what does that mean?"

"It means that in the eyes of the University, we are first year sophomores.." Bailey paused. "Which also means we could graduate after three years..."

The four adults are silent for a while, but everyone begins to smile. "Well, that's amazing!"

Maggie turned to her daughter. "So, is that what you two are planning on doing?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah, we are. That way, we begin grad school a year earlier that we had planned..."

Joe smiled. "Still thinking of pre-vet and pre-med or pre-law?"

"Yeah, we are..."

"Maybe there's a chance we can get you both back here for grad school then?"

Bailey sighs. "I don't think so, Daddy. The only vet school in the state is in Manhattan at Kansas State and the only med school and law school in the state are in Lawrence at KU..."

Joe frowns but nods. "I can see that that won't work...Have you looked at any other possible grad schools then?"

Cody shrugs. "We have a little, but not as much as we will this time next year. Since there are less than thirty vet schools in the country, I've told Bailey I will follow her where ever she gets in...Well, almost anywhere. We don't think its wise for us to try the state of Arizona..."

Bailey nods. "And I've told Cody the same thing. In fact, there has only been one school we have actually looked at up close..."

"Yale?"

Bailey shakes her head. "No, they don't have a vet school..." Bailey pauses. "In fact, there is only one vet school in New England..."

Kurt pauses. "Wait a minute...Are you two talking about...?"

Cody nods. "Yeah...Tufts."

Maggie is confused. "Tufts?"

"Mom, its a university in Boston that has a top 10 vet school and top 20 medical school...Cody's old boss mentioned it to him, and we walked around the campus a bit over Thanksgiving to see what we thought."

Joe nods. "And?"

"Well, we really didn't get a chance to see much as it was closed for the holiday. If we do consider it, we'll go back and take a longer look at it."

"Well, keep us updated as things progress..."

Bailey nods. "Speaking of things progressing..."

Maggie smiled. "Are we talking about the wedding now?"

Cody and Bailey nod. "Yeah, we've made some decisions."

Sarah speaks up. "Is there a date yet?"

"Not a specific one. But, it will be in the summer of 2014...after we graduate college and before we begin grad school."

Joe nods. "Waiting till you graduate college sounds very responsible to me.."

Maggie nods in agreement. "It does. So, are we talking Kettlecorn or Boston?"

Bailey grabs Cody's hand under the table for strength. "Actually...Neither."

Maggie is surprised. "Where then?"

"The S.S. Tipton. We thought it appropriate as that's where we met and fell in love. It just seems right to us that that be where we get married..."

Joe sighed. "I can understand that Bailey, but I'm not sure we can afford that..."

Bailey turns to Cody and he nods. "You don't have to worry about that, Daddy...Its taken care of..."

"How is that?"

"In exchange for letting her webcast our wedding live, London has said she would take care of everything. We've worked out a deal where we maintain total control of it though so its still what we want it to be..."

Joe pauses. "Ohh..."

Bailey smiled at him. "Don't worry, Daddy. You still have one the most important jobs. You have to walk me down the aisle..."

Joe had to smile at that. "Yeah, I guess I do..."

Cody turns to his Dad. "And Dad, you have an important job too..."

"What's that?"

"To make sure Zack doesn't go overboard with the bachelor party..."

And with that, everyone broke out in laughter around the table.

_To be Continued..._


	32. Christmas in Kettlecorn

_Chapter 32_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

As Christmas Eve wasn't until the following Saturday, everyone had a full week to spend in Kettlecorn. Their first morning there, Cody and Bailey did something they hadn't done in a long time – they slept in. Once they did awake, they really didn't have anything pressing to do. So, they walked into town just to look around. It was there Bailey saw something she never thought she would see...Kettlecorn now had a McDonald's! Bailey could only shake her head. She never thought her hometown would ever be big enough to have one, but there it was. Cody joked to her that Kettlecorn would know it had fully arrived when Wal-Mart came in.

They just walked around for a bit and ended up going into one of the stores in town. As they walked in, the older man behind the counter looked up and smiled.

"Well, if it isn't Bailey Picket! Long time, no see..."

Bailey smiled. "Its good to see you again too, Buck."

"Your folks tell us you are back east studying at Yale. Good for you. But don't let those big city types change you from the sweet girl we all watched grow up."

Bailey laughed. "They aren't so bad. In fact, I'm engaged to a big city boy. Buck, this is my fiance, Cody Martin."

Cody extended his hand to shake hands. "Nice to meet you, sir."

Buck shook his hand, but was kind of leery. "You're engaged to one of them?"

Bailey nodded. "Yes, I am. He's from Boston, but he is also the kindest, sweetest, most amazing person I have ever met in my life."

Buck shrugs. "If you say so. We just don't want you to change."

Cody smiled. "Neither do I. The Bailey everyone here watched grow up is the one I fell in love with. I love her just the way she is..."

Buck nods. "Well, alright..."

Bailey changes the subject. "So, how are things going around here?"

"About the same..." Buck pauses. "Have you heard Moose is getting married this spring?"

Bailey shook her head. "No, I hadn't. But then again, I can't say I really care one way or another..."

Buck just looks at her. "You don't?"

"No. I've got my own life and my own fiance. I wouldn't trade either of them for anything in the world."

Buck nods. "Well, I guess you have grown up then. You aren't the same girl who used to work here. I always thought that..."

"Buck, will you shut up!"

Cody and Bailey turn to see an older woman come out from the back.

Bailey smiled. "Myrtle!"

"Hello, Dear. Ignore my husband."

Myrtle turns to Cody. "So, you must be the young man the Maggie has told me so much about. Its a pleasure to finally meet you."

Cody nodded. "Likewise I'm sure. I'm Cody Martin."

Myrtle smiles. "Oh, we know all about you around here. You're the boy who kept besting Moose over and over..." She pauses. "Thank you! That boy was getting too big for his britches!"

Cody wasn't quite sure what to say. "You're welcome?"

Myrtle laughed. "Don't worry about old fogies like Buck here. You have no idea how many people in this town you have on your side. This town needed to be shaken out of its ways."

Cody just looked to Bailey who was smiling back at him. She then turned to Myrtle. "That's because he's the absolute best. And he's all mine..."

"Good for you, Honey...And good for you for going out in the world and showing it what you can do. Most of the gals around here are rooting you on!"

Bailey smiled at her. "Thanks. I promise to do my best and try to make everyone proud."

Eventually, they left Buck's and headed back to the house. The rest of the day was just spent hanging around the house and helping decorate the Christmas tree. The rest of the week there was mostly a time for everyone to recharge their batteries. On one evening, Kurt took his boys out for a guy's night out – which ended up being them at the tavern catching the UCONN basketball game on the TV there. And it was a chance for Zack and Cody to spend some time hanging out together. Both had accepted that life was moving on, but they still enjoyed those moments where they could just have some brother time together.

The humans weren't the only ones having fun. Porkers was enjoying hanging out in the barn with the other animals, strutting because he was an Ivy League pig now. Of course, that meant absolutely nothing to the other animals. But, Porkers had fun hanging out in the barn again and sleeping in his old pile of straw.

Soon, Christmas Eve was upon them again. The day was very similar to Christmas Eve the year before. Dinner was scheduled for the early evening to be followed with the exchanging of gifts to be followed by a late night Christmas Eve service at church.

Preparations for dinner started early. Once again, Cody and Bailey helped out with making the meal. Bailey inwardly smiled as more than once one of her sisters mentioned how lucky she was to have a feller who actually enjoyed helping out in the kitchen. She didn't have the heart to tell them that in all actuality, Cody did most of the cooking with her being the one helping.

Dinner was delicious, and afterwards everyone was sitting around the living room and the Christmas tree. Like last year, the gift opening began with the youngest and moving to the oldest. Of course, this meant Bailey's nieces and nephews and younger sisters. And from Cody and Bailey, they all got Yale sweatshirts.

Finally, it was time for Zack, Cassie, Bailey and Cody. When it was their turn, their parents all looked at them.

"Well, we know that you all don't need the same things as last year, so this year will be a little different..."

Kurt nodded. "Joe's right. We all realized there were a few things you all could use, but before we get to those, we have other things we thought you would prefer..."

With that, Maggie handed out four envelopes to the teens. All of them opened up their envelopes and found an assortment of gift cards and the one gift every college student loves to get – cash.

The four look up and thank their parents for the great presents inside the envelopes.

Sarah speaks up. "Now, you can do what you want with those, but we do have a couple of gifts for each of you that we thought you could really use..."

And with that, two large boxes are given to Zack and Cody and two smaller ones are given to Cassie and Bailey. They boys motion for the girls to go first, and both begin to open the gifts. Inside, they both find an assortment of wool socks, warm gloves and ear muffs for both couples.

Maggie smiled. "We figured those would come in handy this up coming semester..."

Bailey laughed. "I know they will. Thank you all..."

Cassie nodded too. "Yeah. Actually, I could have used these during finals week. It was getting downright cold...Thank you."

Now, the boys opened the large boxes in front of them. Inside, they found tool boxes with an assortment of new tools and a heavy duty flashlight.

Joe spoke up. "We figured you all might actually need these around just in case..."

Zack laughed and turned to Cassie. "I think we can actually fix that closet door now...Thanks, everyone..."

Cody nodded. "Yeah..." Then he laughed. "Now Jo and Bill can tell us to fix things ourselves now..."

Bailey laughed. "Yeah. Though, something tells me I'm going to have to keep an eye on Cody with those..."

Eventually, it was time for the parents to open their gifts. All of them added new shirts and sweatshirts to their closets bearing the names of two universities in the state of Connecticut. Beyond that, Cody and Bailey got her parents a Foreman grill like the one they had. They hoped they enjoyed as much they enjoyed the one they did. For Kurt and Sarah, they got them each a brand new carry on bag that they hoped would be more useful in their travels.

Finally, it was time to head to the church service. It was a lot like the one last year except every lady in the congregation came up to warmly congratulate Cody and Bailey on their engagement. By the time they were done shaking hands, both of their hands were cramping up. Eventually, the service started, and it was very nice. Afterwards, everyone returned to the house where everyone grabbed their bags and corralled Porkers back into his travel carrier.

After more hugs goodbye, Kurt and Sarah drove the four back to Wichita. And soon enough, they were at the airport saying their goodbyes to them. Finally, their flight was called, and all of them boarded the plane. Next stop – Boston.

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: I realized after that posting the last chapter that many people may not have heard of Tufts University. Its a private university in Boston that may be better known as the alma mater of Elaine Benes on Seinfeld or as the university that all the main character from Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place attended. The medical school is the same one the Ryan Reynolds' character attended.**


	33. Christmas in Boston

_Chapter 33_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

About 8 AM local time, the four finally landed in Boston. And there to meet them were Carey and Ellie. In fact, the four would have been disappointed if Ellie hadn't came back for Christmas. They all hugged each other and gathered everyone's luggage. Afterwards, they all headed back to the Tipton airport shuttle to begin the trip back to the hotel. Once there, they got the keys to their suite and everyone took their bags up to their room. Carey and Ellie told them all to get some sleep, and they would meet later for Christmas Dinner in Carey's suite. That sounded just fine to everyone.

Around five o'clock, everyone had slept and showered, and they headed for Carey's suite. With everyone more refreshed, they were actually able to catch them up on their finals at their respective schools. Carey even suggested they check her computer to see if any more grades were up. Zack and Cassie were in no hurry to find out, so they let Cody and Bailey go first. And after checking, their final two grades were up – again, two more A's for each of them. They logged out of the Yale website and let Zack and Cassie have the laptop. Zack sighed as he logged into the UCONN website and clicked to open his grades. But, he had no reason to worry – he had 3 A's and 2 B's. He was pleasantly surprised by that. Seeing that Zack had done so well, Cassie took the laptop from him and checked hers. And like Cody and Bailey, she and Zack were an even match grades wise. With everyone doing so well, it was decided there was another reason to celebrate. About that time, Arwin finally showed up after finishing a last minute maintenance emergency.

Well, soon dinner was served. And to Zack and Cody's surprise, it was actually pretty good. As if reading their minds, Carey smirked and told them Ellie had made it. Zack and Cody just looked at each trying to feign their innocence. And Cassie and Bailey could only look on trying keep from laughing. Ellie, amused as well, decided to try to change the subject to get her daughter's glare off of her grandsons.

"So, what else is new in both of your lives?"

Zack decided to think fast. "Well, Woodchuck and I were both initiated in our fraternity before we left, so we are both full fledged brothers now..."

But this backfired on him. Carey just looked at him. "I better not hear any stories about you participating in any binge drinking escapades..."

Zack sighed. "I promise..." He paused and turned to his brother and gave him a look asking him for help.

Cody smirked but decided there was something to tell everyone. "Well, Bailey and I do have some news for everyone here..."

Zack sighed in thanks as Carey shifted her attention to her youngest son. "What's that? Is it wedding related?"

Cody nods. "Yeah. We've made some important decisions about it..."

"Well, let's hear them."

"We've decided to wait until we graduate to officially get married."

Carey nods and does some figuring in her head. "So, are we talking Summer of 2015?"

Cody and Bailey both shake their heads. "More like Summer of 2014..."

Carey was confused. "But...That's only two and a half years away...I thought you just said after you graduate..."

Bailey nodded. "We did. Thanks to our AP credits, we both already have close to 50 credit hours. Our adviser and landlord, Bill, said we are on pace to graduate in three years..."

As this is the first either Zack or Cassie had heard of this, they both turned to Cody and Bailey. "Let me get this right...You both are going to graduate with double majors in three years?"

Cody shrugged. "Yeah, but its not like we will be done with school. We'll just enter grad school a year earlier..."

Cassie just shook her head. "Wow..."

Zack paused to think. "Well...you'll still be 21 by then, so Vegas is still a go..."

Cassie sighed. "I won't be though..."

Bailey smiled at her. "Don't worry about it. Besides, where we'll be getting married, it won't matter..."

Carey was confused by that. "Where are you getting married?"

"On the S.S. Tipton..."

Carey was surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah, Mom...We figured it appropriate as its where we met and fell in love..."

Zack grinned. "Another chance to see and torture Moseby again..."

Cody smiled at his brother. "Don't do anything to him. We've asked him to officiate the ceremony."

The rest of the evening was spent with them discussing more and more details about what they had planned. Finally, it was time for the exchanging of gifts. Cody pulled Zack aside wondering if that would be safe to do that around their mother and grandmother. He hadn't forgotten Zack's gift from the year before. Zack just laughed and said it would be fine.

First to go was Ellie. The four teens had chipped in and bought her a spa treatment weekend in Seattle. She thanked them and said she couldn't wait for to use it. Next was Carey and Arwin. Again, the four had chipped in and got them a weekend away at Martha's Vinyard. Of course, all three got sweatshirts that said UCONN and Yale as well.

Finally it was time for the teens again. Like the day before, Carey and Ellie had just given them money to let them do with what they wanted. Of course, there were also four tickets to a Celtics-Heat game after the first of the year. Zack couldn't wait to call Woody and tell him he was going to see Lebron play in person.

Next, were gifts to each other. Cody went to a closet and carried out two very large boxes with a small envelope on top of the small one.

"This year, Bailey and I got you presents for you both. You might want to start with the small one first..."

Zack opened it up and looked inside. After reading it, he looked up at his brother and soon to be sister-in-law. "Is this what I think it is?"

Cody smiled. "Yeah. On the drive back home at Thanksgiving, you said you wouldn't mind having this..."

Cassie turned to Zack. "What is it?"

Zack laughed. "Its a year subscription to XM/Sirius...Our SUV has it built in, but we haven't activated it yet..."

Cassie smiled and turned to the other two. "Thanks, Guys..."

Bailey smiled back. "You're welcome. We thought you could use the other two as well..."

Cassie took the smaller of the the boxes while Zack took the larger. Both opened them and were surprised to find a microwave and a dorm sized refrigerator. Both turn to each other in surprise and then back to Cody and Bailey. "Wow..."

Cody smiled. "Well, we figured you two could use these so you didn't always have to eat on campus..."

Zack smiled back. "Thanks, Bro..."

Cassie smiled too. "Yeah. These will make life so much easier..."

With that, Zack went and grabbed two boxes as well. He gave the larger one to Bailey and the smaller one to Cody. "These are from the both of us as well..."

Bailey opened hers and was surprised to find inside a copy of Wii Fitness Plus and two balance boards.

Cassie smiled at her cousin. "We figured since you two were so health conscious, this would let you two keep fit without leaving the house during the winter..."

Zack nodded. "Yeah, and they've finally made it where you can use two boards at the same time..."

Bailey smiled. "Thank you, both...I know we'll both use these in the upcoming months..."

Cody began to open the small box in front of him. When he saw what was inside, he looked up at his brother and laughed.

"You didn't..."

Zack grinned. "Well, I remember you telling me how you two got lost in New York City. I figured this would take care of that problem..."

Bailey turned to Cody. "What is it?"

"Its a GPS system for the Escape..."

Bailey laughed. "Okay, I know we can use that..."

After that, both couples decided they wanted to exchange their gifts for each other in private. So, after calling it a night, both retired to their bedrooms in their suite.

As they got ready for bed, Zack turned to Cassie. "Do you regret us agreeing not to give each other gifts this year?"

Cassie smiled. "No, I don't. While they may be nice, saving our money for an apartment next year is much more practical and grown up..."

Zack laughed. "Who would ever thought that I would do something practical and grown up?"

"I did. I knew you had it in you..."

Zack smiled. "Well, between us two and Woody and Addison, I know we can find a nice, furnished two bedroom apartment..."

Cassie nodded. "Splitting it four ways, it might actually be cheaper than what the dorms cost..."

After Porkers was settled for the night, Cody and Bailey went into their bedroom. Cody brought out 3 boxes and an envelope. Similarly, Bailey brought out 3 boxes of her own and an envelope.

Cody smiled. "Why don't we alternate?"

"Sounds good..."

"You go first..." Cody hands her the envelope.

Bailey opens it and smiles when she sees what's inside. "Cody...A weekend at our bed and breakfast whenever I choose? I love it..."

"I know how much that place means to us..."

Bailey nodded. "Now open your envelope."

Cody did and smiled when he saw what it was. "A gift certificate to Victoria's Secret? Trying to tell me something, Sweetie?"

Bailey smiled at him. "Its for you. I will try on whatever you want me to and we can buy your favorite..."

Cody leaned over and kissed her. "Bails, I know you will look extremely sexy in anything you try on. I may not be able to pick a favorite..."

Bailey laughed. "Tough!"

Cody laughed too. "Open up your next one..."

Bailey did and was surprised by what was inside. "Cody..." She pulled out a very expensive bottle of perfume.

"I know in the past I've only been able to get you cheap perfumes because it was all I could afford. But, I wanted you to have something nice for a change. And I remember you saying how much you liked how this one smelled..."

This time, it was Bailey who kissed Cody. "Thank you, Honey. I love it. Open your next one."

Cody picked up a box and opened it. "Bails! A cappuccino machine? I love it!"

"Good. You can make us your special recipe now..."

Cody smiled. "Anytime you want..."

Bailey picked up her next gift and opened it. Inside was a new pair of cross-trainer shoes and a runners watch. "Wow..."

"I remember you saying your old pair was getting a little worn. And that watch will track how far you ran, how many calories burned, it will remember your past times if you want to race against yourself..."

Bailey smiled. "I love it. Thank you, Codykins..." She pauses to laugh. "I think we were both thinking along the same lines this year..."

"Yeah?" Cody opened his next gift and understood what she meant. "My own dumbbell set for home...Thank you, Bails..." Cody chuckles. "Looks like neither of us has an excuse not to keep working out this winter, huh?"

"I guess not..."

"Before you open your last big one, I do have another small one that is kind of a continuation of a gift..."

Bailey looked on in confusion as Cody pulled a small velvet box out of his pocket and handed it to her. She opened it up and saw three new charms for her bracelet. "Cody! They're beautiful!"

Cody scooted next to her. "One is a pig. Well, that's for Porkers. The next one is a bouquet. Every time you look at it, know that I can't wait to marry you. And the last one is a lamp of knowledge. It for the most brilliant person I know who always encourages me to to my best..."

Bailey looked at Cody with tears forming in her eyes. "I love them...And I love you...so much!"

Cody smiled at her. "And I love you so much too, my little hay bale...And you have one more present to open."

Bailey wiped away her tears and reached for the last box. She opened it up and just shook her head and laughed at what she saw inside. "You remembered..."

"Yes, I did...I remembered how much you loved it. When we left the store and you went to the bathroom, I ran back in and asked them to put it away for me..."

Bailey laughed again. "I didn't exactly go to the bathroom...Open yours and you'll understand..."

Cody opened his last box and realization hit him when he saw what it was. "You were calling the store to ask them to put this away for you..."

"Yes, I was..."

Both laughed at each pulled out their new winter coats from the other.

Cody smiled. "Should we be concerned with how much we are starting to think alike?"

Bailey reached over and kissed him again. "Nah...I think its a very good thing..."

_**To be Continued...**_


	34. Overload

_Chapter 34_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next week until New Years was just spent hanging around the hotel relaxing and taking it easy. Of course, Ellie now had the wedding on her mind. So, one day after lunch, she sat Cody and Bailey down.

"So, I take it you have decided to take London up on her offer?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah, I think we have..."

Ellie smiled. "Does she know that yet?"

"Yes, she does. She just told us to name our terms and draw up the contract."

Cody nodded. "Yeah, we were planning on doing that this week while we had the time."

Ellie nodded. "Alright, you two just tell me what you need me to do and consider it done..."

Cody turned to Bailey. "I don't know where to start..."

Bailey paused. "Me either..."

Ellie smiled. "Alright, lets write some things down. You need to first think about the bridal party. I know Zack is best man, but have you made any choices yet, Bailey?"

"Well, I know I want to ask Cassie to be my maid of honor, beyond that I don't know..."

Cody turned to her. "Will your youngest sister be too old to be a flower girl in two and a half years?"

Bailey paused to think. "She'll be fourteen by then, so probably..."

"One of your nieces then?"

"Maybe..."

Ellie tried to get them back on course. "Okay, the wedding party needs to be thought about. After that, you need to pick out the flowers, the colors you want, the kind of cake, the food at the reception..."

Cody's eyes were wide open. "Wow..."

Ellie laughed. "Not to mention what kind of gown and bridesmaid dresses you want..." She turns to Cody. "You get off easy. All you have to do is get fitted for your tux..."

"I have to pick out the style I want..."

Ellie just shook her head and grinned. "No you don't...that's Bailey's choice too..."

Cody was confused. "So, what do I do?"

Ellie smiled. "You get fitted for your tux, you pick your groomsmen...and you show up on time."

Cody paused and turned to Bailey. "Is that all you want me to do? I know I said I would be as hands on or hands off as you wanted..."

Bailey sighed. "I have no idea. I'm kind of glad we have a while now..."

Cody took her hand in his. "You just tell me what it will take for your dream wedding, and I'll make it happen."

Bailey smiled at him. "Thank you. Can we change the subject? My head is spinning..."

Cody nodded. "Speaking of spinning, how about we go skating again?"

Bailey sighed with relief. "That sounds heavenly right now..."

So, saying goodbye to Ellie, they both grab their skates and head down to the Frog Pond at Boston Common. Bailey was still a little bit rusty, but she quickly remembered everything Cody had taught her before. Before long, they were skating around and having fun. After a full afternoon of skating, they are both sitting back on a bench enjoying a hot chocolate.

Bailey turned to him. "You know...I think you were right..."

"About what?"

"When you said we should just elope..."

Cody smiled. "I know that sounds good right now, but I know you still want a big wedding."

Bailey sighed. "I guess I just didn't realize what all went into one..."

Cody took her hand. "Just think, when's it all over, we get a honeymoon to recover from it..."

Bailey laughed. "Sounds good to me..." She paused. "That's another decision we have to make..."

"Not right now we don't. Right now, the only decision I want you to think about is what we are having for dinner tonight..."

Bailey leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"What was that for?"

"For being my rock once again."

"Sounds like you could use a day tomorrow at the Tipton spa just to relax..."

"Now, that sounds heavenly..."

"We'll set you an appointment when we get back to the hotel."

"What about you? What are you going to do?"

Cody paused to think. "Maybe we can get Cassie to join you, and Zack and I can have some brotherly time..."

Bailey teased him. "A little time for testosterone, huh?"

Cody teased right back. "Of course. You know, a little time to grunt and scratch ourselves..."

Bailey just smiled. "That sounds like a plan to me...Let me guess, a chance to watch movies like Die Hard and the Expendables..."

Cody just shook his head. "I still don't see how you didn't like that movie...I mean, it was Willis, Schwarzenegger, and Stallone in the same movie..."

"I just didn't..."

Cody nods. "Probably the same way I feel about those Twilight movies..."

"You don't like those?"

"Not particularly..."

"Then why haven't you said anything before?"

"Because you do like them, and I like making you happy."

Bailey just smiled at Cody. "Thank you, Codykins. That means more to me than I can ever say..."

Cody smiles back at her. "Don't worry. I'm sure I'll end up dragging you to another movie you hate before long..."

"Fine with me..."

"What do you say we get out of here? Its starting to get colder..."

"Sure. Remind me that we need to find a place for us to skate back in New Haven..."

"Already done..."

"Yeah?"

"The Whale...Where the college hockey teams play has public skate times. And it just so happens you get in free with a student ID..."

"Sounds good...we'll have to find when those are..."

"Speaking of times, have any idea where you want to be Saturday night at midnight?"

Bailey paused and then she realized. "New Year's Eve..."

Cody nods. "Yeah..."

"Well, I did like where we were last year..."

Cody grinned. "Until Arwin passed out on us...twice..."

Bailey laughed. "That's true..."

"I'll talk to Chef Paulo and see if he can hook us up again."

"Sounds good to me..."

Cody smiled. "Just as long as I get another kiss at midnight..."

Bailey smiled back him. "Count on it."

_To be Continued..._


	35. Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

_Chapter 35_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

After a quick phone call to Chef Paulo, everything was set again for New Year's Eve. Again, there was a reservation for six at eight that night. That day, Bailey and Cassie did spend the day at the hotel spa. While they did that, Cody and Zack spent the day in their suite playing video games and watching guy movies. The both loved their ladies, but both were glad to have sometime just to hang out as brothers. And both were looking forward to New Year's Eve.

But before that night, several things happened in Boston. Cody and Bailey were both supposed to have meetings with people after the first of the year. However, that week, both received phone calls asking if they had time that week. So, with that, the both found themselves dressed up a little nicer than usual and headed back into downtown Boston. As they split to go to their separate places, both agreed to meet for lunch later.

As Bailey found herself walking into the main Tipton Animal Shelter in Boston, she began to look around. It wasn't the cold, sterile environment she had feared, but rather, it was very warm and several animals were allowed to roam freely. While she waited on someone at the front desk, she kneeled down to pet and talk to some of the residents. Unbeknownst to her, someone had walked up behind her and watched her interactions with the animals. After seeing enough, this individual finally spoke up.

"Can I help you?"

Bailey stood up and turned around. "Yes. I'm Bailey Pickett. I'm supposed to meet with Dr. Douglas this morning."

"I'm Dr. Douglas, but please call me Bonnie. Rachel Baker has told me all about you, and I'm glad to finally meet you. Lets head back to my office and talk."

"Sure..." Bailey follows Dr. Douglas back to her office and both take seats.

"Well, I can tell you are a natural with animals. Did you grow up with many pets?"

Bailey nodded. "I grew up on a farm, so animals were always around. I spent a lot of time with them."

Bonnie nodded in response. "And any pets now?"

Bailey smiled. "Yes...Porkers, a pet pig."

Bonnie laughed. "A pig, huh? Unconventional, but they do make great pets."

Bailey laughed. "He sure is. Porkers is smart as a whip."

"Good. Half of being a vet is having the animals trust you. From what I've seem just now, I don't think you will have a problem with that. I will tell you, vet school can be daunting. I hope you have a good support system in place."

Bailey smiled again. "The best. My fiance, Cody, is very supportive of anything I do. And while I will be in vet school, he will either be in law school or med school."

"Cody Martin, right?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah...Do you know him?"

Bonnie smiled. "Yes, but I'm not sure if he remembers me. He used to be the producer on London Tipton's webshow years ago. As Ivana's vet, I was a guest on the show once..."

"That's my Cody..."

"Well, from everything I've been told, the Tipton family thinks the world of you. Wilfred speaks highly of you as does London."

Bailey was a little surprised by that. "She does?"

"Yeah, she does. And from what they have told me and from what I've seen myself, I think you would be a welcome addition around here some day."

Bailey smiled. "Thank you! I really appreciate that..."

Bonnie smiled. "Well, there is still some time before that happens. First things first..." She scribbles down a name and a phone number and hands it to Bailey. "An old vet school classmate of mine runs an animal hospital in New Haven. I've already called her and told her I may be sending someone her way. When you get back to school, give her a call. She may have something for you this summer."

"Thank you again. I promise I will do my best!"

Meanwhile, in another part of town, Cody showed up at a doctors office that he had been to twice before. However, this time, he wasn't there as a patient and actually let himself take everything in. The office was very expensively decorated, so Cody figured the clientele was very high class. Of course, with Wilfred Tipton as a client, he wasn't too surprised.

Finally, the receptionist called Cody's name and led him back to an office. As Cody sat there and waited, he looked around the office. Like the lobby, it was very well decorated. But Cody's eyes immediately went to the framed diplomas on the wall. One was an undergrad degree from Yale and the other was the medical degree from Harvard. Cody sighed. Well, he would at least have something to talk about. Eventually, Dr. Miller came and sat down behind his desk.

"Cody, good to see you again."

"You too, Dr. Miller..."

"Please, call me Ron. I understand from George that you are thinking about med school."

Cody nodded. "Yes, sir. Biology is currently one of my two majors."

"Well, from everything I've been told, I know you will be a success at it. I assume you will be looking to go to Yale med school or maybe back here at Harvard..."

Cody paused. "I have no idea yet. All I do know is that my fiancee is planning on going to vet school, so I told her I would follow her wherever she got in..."

Ron nodded and smiled. "I can certainly understand that...My wife got admitted to Harvard business school for her MBA and that's how I ended up in Boston."

Cody smiled. "Exactly. I'll go wherever she needs me to go."

"Its good to see you have your priorities in the right place. Unfortunately, that's rare these days."

"Well, I would do anything for her."

"I know that feeling all too well. Well, George tells me you have been a valuable asset for Mr. Tipton the past couple of years. And he tells me that you are staying in New Haven this summer as well. I understand you are interested in doing something in the medical field. Are you looking for clinical or research?"

Cody paused. "To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure. Working directly with patients would let me see I was making a difference on a daily basis. But if I was doing research, I could be doing something that could help a lot of people some day..."

Ron nodded. "Understandable. Well, I have a friend who runs a research lab in New Haven. If you are interested, I can make a call and get you in to talk to him."

"I would be most appreciative."

"Not a problem. And if you have any questions about the Yale Biology department, don't hesitate to give me a call. The head of the department is an old college buddy of mine."

"I'll keep that in mind..."

After their meetings, Cody and Bailey met back up for lunch to fill each other on what both had found out. It seemed both had leads for their summers, but neither could follow up on them until they returned back to New Haven. So, they just headed back to the Tipton to relax. Plus, Ellie was scheduled to head back to Seattle that next morning, so they wanted to spend some more time with her.

The next day, Ellie said her goodbyes to everyone and headed off to the airport. After she left, everyone hung out at the hotel until it was time for Carey, Cassie and Bailey to head to their hair appointments. While they were doing that, the boys and Arwin just hung out and watched Die Hard again.

That evening, the returned to the same restaurant as the year before. And like the year before, dinner was very good. This year, the restaurant had a dance floor set up, so the three couples made their way to the dance floor.

As they just held on to each other as they danced, Bailey looked up to Cody.

"I love dancing with you."

Cody smiled. "The feeling is mutual..."

"Can you believe its almost 2012?"

"Not really...Especially since it was 2008 that we first met..."

"I know...A lot's changed since that day..."

"Some things have...but others haven't..."

"Like what?"

"Well, then and now, you are still the most beautiful thing I've ever seen..."

Bailey smiled. "You've certainly changed, Sweetie...I remember when I used to have to slouch to be able to look you eye to eye...Now I have to look up."

Cody smiled. "I don't mind slouching either, but now you fit perfectly with my arm wrapped around you and your head on my shoulder..."

"Yes, I do..."

"But, I guess some things have changed though..."

"Like what?"

"Then, I had no idea if you would ever give me the time of day. Now, I can't live my life without you. You are as essential to me as the air I breathe..."

Bailey leaned up and kissed Cody. "I know exactly how you feel..."

Before long, it was getting closer and closer to midnight. The three couples made their way to the outdoor patio to watch the celebration down on the street. Ten seconds before midnight, the count down began as the crowd chanted along with it. When they reached "1" and shouted "Happy New Year!", confetti began filling the air.

But that was lost on three couples on the patio. All three were too busy in tight embraces and lingering kisses with the ones they loved.

_To be Continued..._


	36. Returning Back to School

_Chapter 36_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Shortly after midnight, everyone left the restaurant to head back to the hotel. Porkers was already passed out on his bed, so everyone else called it a night as well. In the teens suite, they again wished every other a Happy New Year and headed to their separate rooms. For that night, it was probably a good thing that there were soundproof walls.

The next day was the Heat-Celtics game for them. It was an enjoyable game, but it was kind of painful to watch. Shaq and Kevin Garnett were not the same players they used to be. Ray Allen had definitely lost a few steps, and Paul Pierce still hadn't met a shot he wouldn't take. It was becoming more and more obvious that this was Rondo's team, and that this year may be the Celts last real chance for a deep playoff run for a while. Of course, seeing Wade, Bosh and Lebron playing in person was a treat. Zack even had to take a picture on his cell phone and send it to Woody. Woody's response was not a very nice one and the exact words were not fit for print.

Unfortunately, while the two colleges ended at the same time, they didn't start back at the same time. Yale was scheduled to return back to classes the next Monday while UCONN didn't start back till the Tuesday of the week after that. And the UCONN dorms didn't open up until the weekend before classes started. Cody and Bailey decided to stay in Boston until Wednesday morning, but they had to get back to New Haven. Not only did they have to both make a phone call, they still had to go get their books for the next semester. Besides, they didn't want Porkers to get used to living high on the hog at the hotel.

So, on Wednesday morning, they said goodbye to Zack, Cassie, Carey and Arwin, and were on the road back to New Haven. A couple of hours later, they were pulling in behind their apartment. After unloading everything from the SUV, they got Porkers settled back in and began to unpack. Jo had gotten their mail for them over the break, but the only thing really pressing was their cable bill. Cody immediately wrote a check and put the bill back in the mailbox to be picked up.

Since it was still early afternoon, they both decided to go ahead and make their phone calls. Both calls were expected, and both had appointments to meet the next morning. Once that was done, Cody and Bailey weren't quite sure what to do then, but Cody suggested that since they hadn't been home in almost three weeks, it might be a good idea to hit the grocery store. Bailey realizing that there wasn't any food in the house quickly agreed.

The next morning, both got dressed up for their interviews. Since Bailey's interview was scheduled first, Cody dropped her off and promised to be back to pick her up once his was done. Bailey slowly walked into the animal hospital and walked to the front desk. The receptionist looked up at her.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, my name is Bailey Pickett and I'm supposed to have an appointment with Dr. Ryan."

"Ahh yes. Dr. Ryan is in with a patient, but she said to have you wait in her office for her. Follow me."

Bailey followed the receptionist to a small office filled with bookshelves filled with books. About fifteen minutes later, an older woman in a lab coat and scrubs walked in and sat down.

"You must be Bailey."

Bailey nodded. "Yes, Dr. Ryan."

Dr. Ryan nodded. "Call me Sam. Bonnie Douglas tells me you are a pre-vet student here at Yale."

"That's right."

"What experience do you have with animals?"

"Well, I grew up on a farm and was surrounded by animals my whole life. One of my responsibilities was taking care of them."

Sam nodded. "Alright. Well, I am in need of an assistant for the summer. If you're smart enough to get into Yale and if Bonnie is willing to recommend you, I'll give you a shot."

Bailey smiled. "Thank you! I promise I will do my best for you."

Sam smiled. "That's all I can ask. I will tell you that we are very laid back around here. Before you first day, we'll have to get you some scrubs. Now come with me, and I'll show you around the place. We mostly concentrate on smaller animals like cats, dogs and the occasional guinea pig and rabbit. But on occasion, we do have to deal with larger animals. I've never been all that good with them, but maybe your experience with them will help out..."

"Anything you need."

Sam pauses. "Do you have a problem with spaying and neutering?"

Bailey shook her head. "Not at all. I once neutered a bull with my bare hands..."

Sam just looked at her and laughed. "Oh, I think you're going to work out around here just fine...But, I bet that probably does frighten your boyfriend..."

Bailey laughs. "Not really. He knows I love him. He knows I would never do that to him..."

Sam just nods. "Any pets of your own?"

Bailey nods. "Yes, my fiance Cody and I have our pet pig, Porkers..."

"Nice. You'll have to bring him around sometimes. We love to have animals all around here."

Meanwhile, not too far away. Cody is sitting in a waiting room ready for his interview. Finally, an older man with salt and pepper hair and glasses comes out.

"Cody Martin?"

Cody stood up. "Yes, sir."

"I'm Dr. Cole. But everyone around here calls me Jimmy. I understand that you come highly recommended from Dr. Miller and Tipton Industries."

"Well, I don't know highly recommended I am, but I've known the Tipton family for a long time..."

Jimmy nods. "Well, we get a lot of funding from Tipton Industries, so if they recommend you, we listen. So, lets head to my office."

Cody follows him to his office where they both sit down.

"So, Cody, tell me a little bit about yourself."

Cody proceeds to give him a brief background about him and his plans for the future.

Jimmy nods. "Very impressive. Well, I will tell you a little bit about us. We are a research facility that has two main specialties. One is we do research on various strains of diseases trying to find treatments for them. The other is we assist the state police labs in doing CSI work and helping to determine DNA and other causes of death. I hope you don't have an aversion to corpses."

Cody shakes his head. "I don't believe so. Even if I do, I better get used to it before gross anatomy."

Jimmy laughs. "That's a good point. Alright, well, for the summer you will be assisting me, and I have my hands in both sides around here, so you'll be getting to see the full gambit."

Cody nods. "Sounds good to me."

"Alright then, welcome aboard then. We'll look forward to seeing you once the semester ends."

Cody shook his hand and was surprised it had gone just that smoothly. But, he wasn't about to ask questions. He had just taken care of his summer employment problem and wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Plus, what they were doing sounded absolutely fascinating.

Cody left the lab and immediately began to head back towards the animal hospital. And as if on cue, Bailey was just stepping outside as he pulled up. She climbed in and turned to Cody with a smile on her face.

Cody grinned. "You got it, didn't you?"

Bailey grinned right back. "I sure did. It looks like it will be a lot of fun."

"Congrats, Bails. I knew they would be stupid not to hire you."

"What about you? How did yours go?"

Cody just smiled back at her.

"You got yours too!"

"I sure did..."

"Sounds like a good reason to celebrate to me."

Cody nodded. "To me too. Why don't we go home, change, go take care of our getting our books, and then go have some fun?"

"Let's go!"

And that's what they did. They went home and changed and headed for the bookstore. Again, they were thankful that Yale was picking up the tab. Cody and Bailey had debated whether to sell their old books back, but in the end, they decided to keep them for their personal libraries for later on. Well, they again went with brand new books and had to buy all new notebooks and folders and replacement pens, mechanical pencils, tabs and highlighters.

And then it was off to celebrate. But to Cody and Bailey, this was having a nice lunch somewhere and then spending the afternoon walking around the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. While it might not seem like fun to some, to those two, it was a blast. After a long day, the both decided it was time to head home.

Once home, Cody said he would unload their books if Bailey would go get the mail. Bailey agreed and walked around front and Cody carried to the several large heavy bags in the back door and deposited them on their desk. Cody was stretching his back out after carrying them in when Bailey ran into the home office with him looking very excited.

"What is it, Sweetie?"

Bailey handed a letter out to him. "Its from Jeopardy!"

"Well, what did they say?"

"I don't know. I haven't opened it yet..."

Cody smiled at her. "Open it already!"

Bailey did and began to read out loud. "Dear Miss Pickett and Mr. Martin...We would like to formally invite you two to be contestants on our Jeopardy College Team Tournament..." Bailey looked up at Cody. "We did it!" Immediately, she flies into his arms again.

"See...I told you we would..."

"Oh my gosh...I know I thought we would, but now its so real..."

"When do we tape?"

Bailey picks back up the letter, skims it and looks back at Cody and smiled. "Well, I think our spring break plans are going to change again..."

Cody nods. "That makes sense. Film when students can get away..."

Bailey nods. "Yeah..."

Cody smiles. "So, are we off to Los Angeles?"

Bailey looks at the letter again and pauses. "Not exactly..."

"Where then?"

Bailey sighs. "Phoenix..."

Cody looks at her in confusion. "You mean...as in Arizona?"

_To be Continued..._


	37. A Special Report

_Chapter 37_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Bailey and Cody just stood there looking at each other letting the implications of the fact they would have to go to Phoenix, Arizona to tape for Jeopardy. Bailey's excitement about making the show was tempered by the fact that Cody's life could be in danger. Alternatively, Cody's leeriness about going to the state of Arizona was offset by the fact that he would do anything to make this dream of Bailey's come true. Finally, Bailey spoke.

"Well, I guess we'll have to just call them and decline then..."

Cody just looked at her. "Why would we do that?"

"Cody, we can't take the risk that someone out there will try to do something to you..."

Cody smiled. "Bails, I appreciate that, but this was your dream. We're doing it!"

"But, what if..."

Cody interrupts her. "Then we'll deal with it. This is something you've always wanted to do. And I know this will make you happy. And I vowed to you to go to the ends of the earth to make you happy. Well, time for me to show that..."

Bailey sighs and looks at Cody. "Are you sure?"

Cody nods. "I'm positive..." He smiles. "We're probably worried for nothing. I bet we get in and out of there without any incidents..."

Bailey smiled back at him. "You're probably right..."

"Besides, I'm in the mood to kick a little butt..."

"So am I..."

"And the rest of the country will get to see up close that I'm the luckiest guy in the world...That my fiancee is not only stunningly beautiful, but also brilliant..."

Bailey blushed. "Who cares what they think? Besides, I'll be the one who will have to fend off the throng of girls trying to get after my handsome and brilliant feller..."

Cody grinned. "I wouldn't even notice. I only have eyes for you..."

Bailey grinned right back. "I'm the same way..."

"You know, we do have two weeks of spring break this year. You still have another week for us to plan unless you are wanting to carry it over until the next year..."

Bailey paused. "What do you think?"

"Its your call...You did win the bet."

Bailey nodded. "Well, my two initial choices were to head back to Kettlecorn or to go to Washington, DC and spend a week there seeing everything..."

Cody smiled. "That sounds like a lot of fun to me..."

"To me too..."

"We could always go back to Kettlecorn this year and save DC for this summer or next year's spring break. I mean, we are going to have to find some place for Porker's to stay while we are in Phoenix..."

"That's true...And I know he'd love to spend more time on the farm..."

"So, are we heading to Kettlecorn first, drop Porkers off, head on to Phoenix, and then back to Kettlecorn?"

Bailey paused. "Yeah, I'd like that..."

"Then that's what we'll do."

Bailey smiled back at him. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

Cody smiled right back. "You have, but I never get tired of hearing it...And for the record, I love you that much too..."

The next day was Friday, and it was mainly spent doing laundry from their Christmas trips and organizing all of their new books and supplies. And since it was still pretty cold outside, they broke out the Wii Fit Plus Zack and Cassie had given them. Well, it turned out to be more of a workout than either one of the had expected. By the time they were done, both were dripping with sweat. Cody had to laugh and say that it looked like bad weather wouldn't prevent them from working out that winter after all. Cody was going to try out his new weights before he grabbed a shower. Bailey paused and asked him if he would help her get started with weights too. Cody just smiled and said sure. Of course, by that time, both really were in need of a shower, and neither had a problem sharing one.

Saturday brought with it Max and Tapeworm's returns to campus. They both had to go get their books too but wanted to know if Cody and Bailey wanted to join them later to do something. Cody suggested they all go over to the Whale and do some skating. Bailey was definitely down for that and so were Max and Tapeworm. So, they all met up early that afternoon and spent the rest of the day just having fun. By now, Bailey was a lot more confident on her skates and was even getting more and more daring with the moves she made. Of course, she would still fall on her butt at times, but she was able to laugh about it. After they finished, they went back to Cody and Bailey's place where they hung out and ordered pizza.

Sunday was their last day before classes began. The got their books and supplies for the Econometrics and Organic Chem II classes organized and packed away in their backpacks ready for the next morning. After that, it was just mainly hanging around the apartment taking it easy except for another round of Wii Fitness and weights.

Monday morning, both were up early, showered and dressed by 7:45 AM. While Bailey was taking Porkers outside for his morning walk, Cody was fixing them a quick breakfast. After all, to them, it was the most important meal of the day. Once they had eaten, both donned their brand new winter coats and headed off to class. Both of them still were getting used to the concept of syllabus day, but weren't as shocked as they were the year before. Bill just went through the syllabus and gave the class a brief overview of what the course would contain. By 9:30, he was done and dismissed the class. Cody and Bailey just waited around on campus until it was time for Organic Chem II. Arriving at that class, they went through the same process as well. By 11:30, they were already done for the day.

Tuesday went pretty much the same as Monday except for different classes. Again, Bill started off their day with Intro to Statistics and Probability (ISP for future reference). Again, Cody and Bailey got out early. Next was Genetics and it followed the same pattern as well. However, their first Chem lab was that afternoon, so they had to stick around for it. And like everything else the first couple of days, it was just an overview of what they would be doing that semester. But instead of having nothing to do after class, they had to return home and do their homework and reading for Wednesday.

The first week was moving along smoothly until they got to Friday. Since the following Monday, the school would be closed for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, Yale did something different. Instead of going to their normal class on Friday, those classes were canceled, and everyone was supposed to go to their normal Monday classes on Friday. But Cody and Bailey didn't really mind as they were looking at a three day weekend when they were done.

Normally a three day weekend sounds like a lot of fun. However, early January in New England really didn't let you do many outdoors activities. So, they mainly just hung around the house with Porkers. The weekend passed with relatively little action.

After a few weeks, Cody and Bailey were settling into their new routine. They had their schedules down pat of when they had to be in class and when they had to study. The also learned that being done with classes at noon on Fridays lead to long weekends for them. And they usually spent Friday afternoon as their weekly together fun time. They would alternate doing something that the other wanted to do. One Friday, Bailey wanted to go skating again. On another, she finally dragged Cody to a matinee of the new Twilight movie. But, Cody had his choices too. On one Friday, he wanted to go to the University Art museum. And on another, he wanted an afternoon of just playing more Mariokart. Their Fridays usually ended up being a lot like their bets – Neither minded what the other wanted to do and both ended up having fun.

Soon, February was upon them. And after a month of classes under their belts, it was already time for their first rounds of tests again. Of course, by then, Cody and Bailey already had a routine for their test time, and they followed it again. And again, it seemed to work for them. Grades weren't back yet, but both felt like they had done well.

As everyone knows, February can be a particularly nasty month weather wise. So, it was on a Sunday evening that after Cody and Bailey had done everything they needed for the next day, they were just relaxing watching some TV before going to bed. Cody was stretched out on the couch while Bailey was stretched out in front of him, snuggled close to him. She turned to look up at him.

"Are you about ready for bed?"

Cody nodded. "Just about. I just want to check out the news first."

Bailey yawned and smiled. "Okay." And with that Bailey snuggled in closer to Cody and eventually dozed off.

As the news came on, there on the screen in big block letters were the words "SPECIAL REPORT"

"_Here at Action News 6, we want to pass on a warning from the National Weather Service. A potential Noreaster could be coming into the area overnight. While it isn't a certainty that it will hit New Haven, there is also a chance that New Haven could be hit by a strong snow storm that could result in several feet of snow being dropped on the viewing area. Please stay tuned to Action News 6 for further details."_

_To be Continued..._


	38. Entering a War Zone

_Chapter 38_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody sat there taking in what the news report had just said. If they were in fact going to be hit by a Noreaster, he needed to make sure they were prepared for it. So, Cody reached down and gently shook Bailey awake. She yawned and looked up at him. "Ready for bed now?"

Cody sighed. "No, afraid not. According to the news, we might get hit by a Noreaster overnight..."

Bailey was trying to shake the sleep out of her eyes. "What does that mean exactly?"

"We might be getting hit with several feet of snow..."

"So, what do we do?"

"First, we need to check to see how much food we have in the house. If we don't have enough to last us for at least a week, we are going to have to make a run to the store ASAP."

Bailey nodded and both got up to check their pantry, cabinets and refrigerator. After checking, both looked each other with grim expressions. Bailey sighed. "We need to make a run, don't we?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah. Better to be safe than sorry. Lets change back into our warmer clothes and get this done as soon as possible."

Both quickly change clothes and bundle up to keep warm. They checked on Porkers and found him fast asleep. Before they headed out the back door, Cody paused and turned to Bailey.

"Think we should call Jo and Bill and see if they need us to pick up anything for them?"

Bailey just smiled at him. "That's a good idea...and very thoughtful."

Cody just shrugged and pulled out his phone and dialed. Finally, the call was answered and someone answered half asleep.

"_Hello?"_

"Jo, its Cody, I'm sorry to wake you. We just saw on the news that we might be getting hit by a Noreaster overnight. Bailey and I were about to make a run to the grocery store to stock up, and we were wondering if you two needed us to pick up anything for you..."

Cody could hear Jo chuckling. _"We appreciate the call, Cody, but we did our regular shopping this afternoon anyways. But thanks for thinking of us..."_ She pauses. _"And Bill says you two don't need to be sucking up..."_

Cody laughs. "We'll try not too. Alright, well, lets all hope our midnight run is all for nothing..."

Cody finished the call, and he and Bailey headed out for the SUV. Immediately, the could both tell that it was bitterly cold outside. And as they got into the vehicle, they could see that flurries were starting to fall. Cody decided not to waste any more time and put the vehicle into drive. The streets of New Haven were eerily quiet, but then again, it was close to midnight on a Sunday. As the reached closer to the Wal-Mart, Cody spoke up.

"Bails?"

Bailey turned to Cody. "Yeah?"

"Remember what I told you about full contact grocery shopping?"

"Yeah..."

"I just want you to be prepared for what we might see..."

Bailey turned to him. "You think it might be that bad?"

"I don't know, I just think we should prepare for the worst."

"What do you suggest?"

"When we get in, we'll both grab a cart. You head immediately for dairy and get milk and eggs. I'll head for the bread and double back to the meat section. Once we get those essentials, we'll meet back up in aisle one and go from there..."

Bailey nods.

Cody smiled at her. "And if anyone gives you problems, deal with them like you did with Moose last Christmas..."

Bailey just laughs. "Alright..."

Cody pauses to think. "Actually, I just thought of a few other things we need that there might be a premium on. It may take me a few minutes to meet you there..."

Cody and Bailey pull into the parking lot, luck out and find a spot near the front. Before they get out, Cody asks if Bailey is ready and she nods. They both get out of the SUV, grab a cart a piece and begin their assault on Wallyworld.

Bailey immediately pushed her cart to the dairy section and made her way over to the milk coolers. Immediately, she opened it and grabbed the last two gallons of skim milk she saw. Turning back around, she saw people staring at her, but she quickly moved on to the egg section. She quickly grabbed two 18 packs of eggs to be on the safe side. Once she grabbed them, she took her time to make sure none were already broken.

She made her way back over to aisle one and waited for Cody. About ten minutes later, she saw him pushing his cart towards her. At first glance, Bailey couldn't figure out what all Cody had with him. Once their carts were side by side, Cody quickly moved the bread and meat he had picked up over to Bailey's cart. Then he turned to her to explain what else he had.

"Snow shovel, rock salt, and a propane heater just in case..."

Bailey nodded. "Good idea, Sweetie"

Cody smiled. "Well, a good scout is always prepared...Especially with Moseby as your troop leader..."

Bailey just shakes her head and laughs. "Come on, let's get everything we need and get out of here. Probably a good idea to get somethings we don't need electricity to cook."

For the next hour, Cody and Bailey traverse the aisles of Wal-Mart and get everything they think they will need. Before they checkout, the double check they have everything and proceed to check out. Getting back outside, they notice in just the hour they have been in the store, the weather has really began to pick up. The flurries are long gone, and a full on blizzard is in effect. Quickly, they load the bags into the back of the SUV . Once done, both got in the vehicle and turned it on and let the engine warm up some.

"Cody?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

"Have you ever driven in a blizzard before?"

Cody paused. "I can't say I have. What about you?"

Bailey shakes her head. "No..."

"Well, we'll just have to be extra careful then. We'll turn on the four wheel drive, so that should help. I need you to keep your eyes open too. Working together, we'll make it home in one piece."

Bailey nods. "Right."

And with that, Cody put the SUV in gear and begins to slowly pull through the parking lot. The snow is sticking to the ground, but that's not what he's worried about. With how cold it is outside, ice is his major concern. Making it back to the main road back towards campus, Cody never drives faster than 25 miles per hour. It may take longer to get home, but he has a better chance of controlling the vehicle if they do hit ice.

What normally is a ten minute drive for them took close to forty-minutes. But neither were complaining when they finally pulled in behind their apartment and put the SUV in park. Quickly, they unloaded the grocery bags and put everything away. When they finished, they noticed it was getting close to 2:30 in the morning. Both sighed realizing it was going to be a early morning for them. But, both at least knew that no matter what happened, they were prepared to weather the storm outside.

Before going to bed, both also set the alarms on their cell phones in case they did lose power over night. After that, both changed into flannel pajama bottoms and long sleeve tshirts. They both climbed into bed and cuddled closer together.

"Bails?"

"Yeah, Codykins?"

"Remember during the hurricane when I said I couldn't wait for our first blizzard together?"

"Uh huh..."

"Why didn't you tell me to keep my big mouth shut?"

Bailey begins to laugh. "Well, the hard part is out of the way. Now, if we do get snowed in, we'll be okay, and we can focus on other things then..."

"Yeah, like what?"

Bailey grinned at him. "Like ways to keep each other warm..."

Cody leaned in and kissed Bailey's neck and whispered in her ear. "I may have some ideas about how to do that..."

"I'll bet you do..." She sighs though. "As much as I'm enjoying this conversation, we have to be up in four hours..."

"I know..." Cody leans in for a proper kiss. "Goodnight, Sweetie...Love you..."

"Love you too, Codykins..."

And a mere four hours later, their alarms were going off. Both were still obviously tired when they got up, but both forced themselves to get moving. It was Bailey's turn to shower first, and as she was getting ready to head that way, Cody went and looked out the front window.

"Bails!"

Bailey came running into the living room in her robe. "What is it?"

"Look!"

Bailey looked where Cody was pointing and she had the same look of shock on her face that Cody did. Everything outside was completely white and deep snow was everywhere. And to make matters worse...It was still snowing.

_To be Continued..._


	39. An Act of God

_Chapter 39_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody and Bailey just look on in awe. In just over four hours, Mother Nature had unleashed her fury on them and left them in a winter wonderland. Bailey had to admit to herself that she had never seen anything like this in all of her life. Kettlecorn had never been hit with anything like this that she could remember, and this was nothing like Sweden had been. Her thoughts were interrupted by hearing Cody chuckling. She turned to him.

"What's so funny?"

"I was just wondering if this is what Boston looked like during the last Noreaster I know of..."

"What do you mean wondering? Weren't you there for it?"

Cody shook his head. "No, Zack and I were on vacation with Mom on the S.S. Tipton. But Moseby, London, Maddie and Esteban told us all about it when we got back..."

Bailey just looked at him. "You were on the ship before we started school?"

Cody looked confused. "Yeah...I told you that story didn't I?"

Bailey shook her head. "I don't think so..."

Cody shrugged. "Mom was in serious need of a vacation, so Zack and I arranged for us all to be on the ship for a few days..."

Bailey smiled. "That was very sweet of you two. How did you two pull that off?"

Cody paused. "Well, turns out to get on board, we accidentally agreed for Mom to do some shows on the ship. And that's exactly what she wanted a vacation from. You remember the tiny cabin next to the storage holds?"

Bailey nods. "Yeah..."

"Well, when Mom found out, she refused to perform, so that's the cabin we got stuck in. Well, all three of us in there wasn't going to work, so Mom relented and agreed to perform after all. But, we felt bad, so we ended up doing the performance for her..."

Bailey smiled. "How did that go?"

Cody smiled back at her. "Well, you've heard my singing voice, you tell me..."

"That well, huh?"

Cody just laughed. "Well, how does this compare to snow on the farm?"

"I have to admit, I've never seen anything like this before..."

"Well, welcome to your first Noreaster..."

Bailey laughed. "Its not so bad..." She paused though. "I do wonder how we are supposed to get to class though..."

Cody nodded. "Well, why don't you go ahead and shower, and I'll head outside and try to shovel the walk..."

"You sure?"

"Yeah..." Cody grinned. "I'll let you convince Porkers he has to go out in it later..."

"That should be fun..."

"Alright, I'm going to change into something warmer and get out there..."

"Okay, while you do that, I want to get my camera and take some pictures of it..."

"Yeah?"

Bailey smiled. "Yeah, pictures of our first blizzard. Plus, I want to send them home and show everyone what a real snow storm looks like..."

A little while later, Cody found himself standing out on their front stoop shoveling snow. He was making a small dent in it, but the falling snow kept trying to cover up any progress he was making. Plus, it didn't help that he could see that there were already snowdrifts that he knew would come up to his waist. He just sighed and kept shoveling. If he could get it down to a manageable level, he'd bring the rock salt out and let it do its work. His concentration was interrupted by the door next to him opening, and he saw Bill coming out with his shovel too.

"Having fun yet?"

Cody laughed. "Loads..."

"Well, looks like your trip out last night was warranted after all..."

Cody nodded. "Looks that way. On our way back, it was already snowing hard, but we had no idea we'd wake up to this..."

Bill laughed. "That's New England for you..."

Cody laughed too. "Something tells me class attendance might be sparse this morning..."

"If I can't make a dent in this, it'll be minus one professor as well..."

"Well, I'll keep shoveling over here until you give me the word..."

"I guarantee some professors have already called in and canceled theirs. Especially the ones who don't live near campus..."

Cody laughed. "I thought this would be a perk of living right off campus. I didn't think it was possible for the weather to keep us from going to class. I may have to reconsider that..."

Bill laughed too. "That's the fun part of Noreasters..."

Cody nodded. "Well, at least tests were last week. We don't have to worry about trying to fight to get to class to take one..."

"True. And to think, I was actually supposed to return them back today..."

Cody stopped shoveling for a minute. "Yeah? How were they?"

Bill rolled his eyes. "You two did as well as you usually did..."

Cody smiled. "Good. I do wonder though. I'm guessing Yale never cancels classes, do they?"

Bill snorted. "Only for an act of God..."

But at that time, Jo steps out on the front porch.

"You two can stop shoveling. The dean just called. The university is officially shut down today..."

Cody and Bill just look at each other and shrug. They both pick up their shovels and head back to the warmth of their respective apartments. Cody kicks off the snow from his boots and takes them off once he steps inside. Realizing his pants are soaked too, he quickly strips them off too as well as his jacket. He stands there in his sweatshirt and boxers trying to warm up when he hears a whistle.

"Looking good, Codykins..."

Cody looks up and smiles at seeing a freshly showered Bailey in her robe. "I guarantee my view is better..."

Bailey giggles. "So, get it cleared?"

"Nope. Halfway through, Bill got the call that the university was shut down for the day. I figured it was time to come in and warm up for a while..."

"Really?"

Cody nods. "Yeah. I figured I would wait until later and see if the sun will melt any of it..."

"Good idea..."

"Now, I'm just trying to decide if I want to grab a shower or go back to bed..."

Bailey smiled. "I could use some more sleep myself..."

"Me too. We did have a late night..." And with that, Cody blows into his hands and tries to warm them up.

Bailey walks over and takes his hands in hers. "Cody! You're hands are freezing!" She cups his cheeks. "So is your face!"

"I just need to warm up some..."

"Let's get you in the shower then and let the hot water warm you back up..."

Cody nods. "Probably a good idea..."

Bailey grins at him. "I figure the hot water and body heat should warm you up real quick..."

"Body heat?"

"Yeah...One of my ways of us keeping us both warm. And if that doesn't work, maybe we'll try some of your methods..."

Cody smiles. "And people always say Monday mornings are the worst..."

_To be Continued..._


	40. Teaching an Old Pig New Tricks

_Chapter 40_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

A little while later, Cody and Bailey were in the kitchen, both in their robes now, making breakfast. Cody was now sufficiently warmed up. And they had both made it back to bed, but neither had gotten any sleep. Both were just smiling at the other as they stood side by side making breakfast. Every once in a while, one would "accidentally" brush up against the other one. As they finished making breakfast, they were interrupted by an oink.

Bailey sighed. "I guess I should get changed and take Porkers outside..."

Cody smiled. "I don't think that's necessary..."

"But if we don't, Porkers will have an accident inside..."

"Actually, he won't. Porkers and I have been working on a surprise for you..."

Bailey looked at Cody in confusion as he walked over and opened the door to the half bath.

Cody was looking at Porkers. "Come here, boy..." Porkers came with Cody and entered the bathroom. And to Bailey's shock he climbed up on to the toilet.

"What the feathers?"

And to her shock, Porkers began to do his business.

"Oh my gosh!" Bailey immediately pulled Cody out of the bathroom with her and closed the door. She turned to Cody. "I thought you were joking about that!"

Cody smiled. "Well, we can stop him if you want and let him go outside in the bitter cold and snow..."

Bailey paused. "No, that's quite alright..."

"And now, if he has the urge, he doesn't have to wait for us to get home and let him out..."

Bailey nodded. "That's true..."

Cody paused. "Are you mad I did it?"

"No. I understand why you did. I guess I just enjoy talking and playing with him when we go outside..."

"You can still do that. But on days like this, I just thought..."

Bailey smiled at him. "I know, Sweetie..."

"Can I ask a question though?"

"Of course..."

"Why did you pull me out of there and close the door?"

Bailey shrugged. "I figured I'd give him some privacy..."

Cody just looked at her and laughed. "Yet, you have no problem walking in on me when I'm in there..."

Bailey smiled. "That's different though..."

"Yeah?"

"Of course. We're engaged and will be living with each other for the rest of our lives. Besides, we have no modesty with each other anymore..."

"Alright, I'll have to remember that...And at least you don't do the things Zack and Woody used to do..."

Bailey laughed. "Like what?"

"Well, you know about Woody's...musical talents. But growing up, Zack would take great pride in...how do I say this...in his ability to be odoriferous or in his level of grandeur and his pride in showing it off..."

Bailey just laughed harder. "Are you serious?"

Cody sighed. "Unfortunately, yes..."

"My poor baby..."

"Maybe we should change the subject? Besides, I think Porkers is probably done now..."

"Good idea..."

The opened the door, and Porkers trotted back out. Both were thankful he didn't have toilet paper stuck to the bottom of his hoof.

Bailey turned back to Cody. "Well, what should we do now?"

Cody paused. "I don't know. We could work out..."

Bailey smiled. "I think we already did earlier..."

Cody smiled. "Well, we could hang inside and watch a movie or play video games or we could go outside and play in the snow or we could take care of our reading and homework for tomorrow so we don't have to later..."

"You think we'll have classes tomorrow?"

Cody shrugged. "I don't know. But we should assume we are until we hear otherwise..."

Bailey nodded. "Probably a good idea."

So, for the next couple of hours, they took care of their responsibilities in case they did have classes the next day. Once they finished, it was still well before noon. So, they both just laid back on the couch watching daytime TV. Eventually, the likes of Jerry Springer and Maury were just too much for them.

So, they put on a movie and watched it instead.

After lunch, they returned back to the couch to get nestled in for the afternoon in front of the TV when Bailey's phone began to ring. She picked up and answered it.

"Hello?"

"_Bailey, its Max."_

"Hey Max, what's up?"

"_I was just checking into see how you two were holding up over there..."_

Bailey smiled. "Well, we're snowed in, but other than that, we're doing fine. We're just lounging, watching a little TV..."

"_TV? You guys have power?"_

"Of course we do."

"_Lucky you. I just talked to Tapeworm, and it seems all the dorms have lost power..."_

Bailey turns to Cody. "The dorms don't have any power."

"Really?"

"That's what Max said..."

Cody paused. "They'll freeze over there..."

Bailey nodded. "I know..."

Cody paused again. "Tell Max and Tapeworm to pack some clothes and their books, and I'll be over to get them once I dig the SUV out..."

Bailey smiled at him. "Really?"

"Yeah...They'd do the same for us."

Bailey turned back to her phone. "Max, you and Tapeworm pack some clothes and books. Cody will be over to pick you both up once he digs the car out. You guys will stay with us..."

"_Really? Are you two sure?"_

"Yeah. No sense in you two freezing when we have heat and power here..."

"_Thank you both so much! I call Tapeworm and have him meet me over here. Have Cody call one of us when he gets here. Thank you again, Bailey!"_

"Anytime."

Cody gets up to go change, but Bailey stops him first and kisses him.

Cody smiled. "What was that for?"

"For being one of the good guys. Maybe the best one. Its days like this that just reinforce to me that I have the best fiance in the whole world. That was so sweet of you to offer to go get them and let them ride out the storm here..."

"What can I say. You rubbed off on to me..."

"Nope. You were always this sweet even before we started dating. The mulch festival is proof of that. Face it, Cody...You are just a genuinely nice guy..."

Cody smiled at her. "Well, the fact that I have you just proves nice guys don't finish last..."

_To be Continued..._


	41. Houseguests

_Chapter 41_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody and Bailey both changed into warmer clothes and head out the back door. While Cody was busy shoveling the driveway, Bailey was using their scraper brush to sweep the snow off the SUV and scrape the windows. All the while, SUV was running letting the defrosters help out as much as they could. Finally, Cody got the driveway as clear as he could and proceeded to scatter rock salt on it hoping that would further help melt what was left.

"Alright, I'll head over to get them now..."

Bailey nodded. "I'm coming with you..."

"Someone should be here with Porkers in case I get stuck..."

"He'll be fine..."

Cody smiled. "You're coming with me no matter what I say, aren't you?"

Bailey smiled back at him. "Yes."

Cody shrugged. "Alright...Let's get going..."

The began to back out of the driveway very slowly, and Cody could feel the wheels slipping on some ice.

"I sure am glad we decided on four wheel drive..."

Bailey nodded. "For days just like this..."

Finally, Cody and Bailey get out on the street and slowly make their way across campus. All the way, they kept sliding on the ice, but Cody wasn't driving fast enough for him to lose control too much. A few blocks from Max's dorm, Bailey got out her cell phone and called Max telling her that they would be out front shortly. Max thanked them again and said she and Tapeworm would be right down. Finally, the SUV came to a stop right in front of the dorm. Cody immediately put on the emergency break and hazard lights. And soon enough, Max and Tapeworm came out of the front of the dorm, both carrying two large bags. Cody got out to open the rear door and helped them load their stuff. Once everyone was in, Cody turned off the emergency break and hazard lights.

Tapeworm spoke up. "Guys, we really appreciate this..."

Bailey turned back to them. "Not a problem. I imagine it was getting pretty cold in there..."

Max nods. "Yeah, they had several propane heaters in the lobby for everyone to huddle around..."

"We must have lost power sometime early this morning. We didn't even have hot water for showers this morning..."

Bailey nods. "Well, we have both heat and hot water. You're both more than welcome to grab a hot shower when we get back..."

Cody finally speaks. "Which could take a while. I'm not going to drive too fast on these roads..."

"Take your time..." Max pauses. "Oh my gosh. I didn't even think. We should have grabbed some food from the campus store..."

Bailey just smiles. "Don't worry about that. We went on a midnight run to Wal-Mart last night and loaded up..."

Cody nodded. "And we've already done our homework for tomorrow, so if you need to, feel free to use our home office to do yours..."

"Guys, we really do appreciate all of this. I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't offered..."

Bailey shrugs. "You guys would have done the same for us..."

Finally, Cody pulls into the driveway and puts the SUV into park. Everyone files out of it, bringing all the bags inside with them. Bailey points them to the bathroom with the shower in it if they want to use it. Tapeworm told Max to go first, and she gathered her clothes bag and headed on in. Cody and Bailey headed to their bedroom to change back into something more comfortable. With company over, their robes were out, but they settled on long sleeve t-shirts and their flannel pajama pants. Soon, Max was done with her shower, and Tapeworm took his turn. While he showered, Cody and Bailey curled back up on the couch while Max took a spot on the loveseat.

"Ummm...Cody?"

"Yeah?"

"You do know your pajama pants are covered with kittens, right?"

Cody smiled. "I know. They were a gift from Bailey just like hers were a gift from me..."

Max just nods. "Okay..."

Bailey smiled. "Mine have bunnies because he calls me his Bailey Bunny, and his have kittens because I call him my Cody Kitten..."

Max just shakes her head. "Wow...Cassie was right. You two are disgustingly sweet with each other..."

Cody and Bailey just look at each other and shrug. Finally, Tapeworm finished his shower, and joined the other three in the living room. He sits down next to Max and happens to look over at Cody.

"Nice pajama pants..."

Max just shook her head. "Don't ask..."

Bailey turned to them. "So, what sounds like fun? We can already tell you that daytime TV isn't all its cracked up to be. But we have movies and we have the Wii."

Both Max and Tapeworm shrugged. "Doesn't matter to us. Did you guys watch much TV while on the boat?"

Cody shook his head. "Not much at all. There was no cable and the only one with a Satellite TV was London. We used it a few times when she was off the boat and we could watch movies on one of our laptops, but that was about it..."

"So what did you do in your free time?"

Bailey shrugged. "We just hung out together...Well, that and Cody and I did our homework."

Tapeworm got down on his knees. "What all games do you have?"

"Just a collection of ones London thought we needed..."

Tapeworm picked one up. "Tiger Woods 2011, huh? I didn't know you two were golfers. I was actually on my high school team."

Cody shrugged. "Actually, I've never picked up a golf club in my life...unless you count miniature golf putters."

Tapeworm chuckled. "And you're planning on being a doctor or a lawyer?"

Cody looked at him in confusion. "Yeah?"

"Dude, either way, golf is a game you are going to half to learn how to play..."

"You think so?"

"Definitely...The golf course is where you negotiate deals and schmooze clients..."

Cody turned to Bailey. "What do you think?"

Bailey shrugged. "I don't know. Couldn't hurt I suppose..."

Cody paused. "Well, it is a game that is based on physics and Newtonian mechanics..."

Bailey nods. "That's true..."

"Maybe we'll give it a shot this summer?"

Bailey smiled. "We?"

Cody smiled. "Of course. It could be something for us to try on our Friday afternoons once it gets warmer..."

Bailey laughed. "Are you going to wear knickers or plaid pants?"

"I hadn't planned on either..."

"Sounds like it could be fun."

Tapeworm spoke up again. "How about Wii bowling?"

Cody chuckles. "Only if you are willing to go head to head with Bailey. She can't be beat at it. Trust me, I've tried..."

Max laughs. "Sounds like a challenge!"

For the next several hours, they all sat around and played video games. And Bailey did dominate in Wii bowling. And Cody was able to dominate in some Mariokart. Everything was a lot more evenly matched in other things and everyone had a lot of fun.

Finally, it was time for dinner. Cody again cooked, and everyone thought it was delicious. Afterwards, they checked the weather channel and found the storm should be out of the area by Thursday morning, so it looked like they could be trapped for a few more days. Everyone shrugged and returned to the living room to watch TV. Fortunately, one of Cody and Bailey's favorite shows was on – The Big Bang Theory.

Later that night, everyone decided to call it a night as they still hadn't heard the status of school for the next day. Bailey was going to pull out the couch for them, but Cody whispered to her that they should let Max and Tapeworm make that call. Back in their bedroom, Cody and Bailey climbed into bed, and just laid there together for a while.

"Cody?"

"Yeah, Sweetie?"

"Is this as bad as a New England winter will get?"

Cody chuckled. "Yeah, you're experiencing the worst of it..."

Bailey paused and turned to him. "Its not so bad...I think I can handle it..."

Cody nodded. "You're handing it like a champ..."

Bailey smiled. "I keep this up, and I'll may actually turn into a New Englander..."

Cody smiled at her. "You already are..."

_To be Continued..._


	42. The Next Morning

_Chapter 42_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next morning, Cody and Bailey were up early as usual. They went ahead and showered for the day and were fixing breakfast when Max and Tapeworm both finally woke up. Seems they discovered on their own that the couch was a pullout. The both stumbled into the kitchen half asleep.

"Any word yet this morning about classes?"

Cody shook his head. "Nothing yet, but we figure Bill will call us once he hears one way or the other..."

Tapeworm nods. "Do you two always get up this early?"

Bailey laughs. "Its only quarter after seven. This would be late back on the farm..."

Max shakes her head. "Maybe that's why I was born a city girl...What time is your first class anyways?"

"9:00 AM..."

"Oh...Mine's not till 10:00..."

Tapeworm nods. "Mine too..."

Cody shrugged. "No problem. Bailey and I have the same classes. We can just give you one of our keys."

"You sure? We have no problem leaving for campus early..."

"Well, we have our organic lab until 3:00 and it usually runs over. So, you both could be back before we would..."

Max nods. "We appreciate that..." She turns to Tapeworm. "Wonder if the dorms have power back yet?"

Tapeworm shrugs. "I don't know. But I bet if they don't, my roommate is going through withdrawals by now..."

Max shuddered. "Thanks for reminding me of that..."

Bailey laughs. "Well, breakfast is done...Everyone dig in."

After they finished eating, Max and Tapeworm alternated taking showers. As they were doing that, Cody and Bailey were sitting around the kitchen table sipping on cappuccinos.

"You think they got hit this hard in Storrs?"

Bailey paused to think. "I don't know. I didn't even think to call Cassie..."

Cody pulls out his phone. "7:45.." He grins. "I bet Zack wouldn't mind me calling to wake him up again for old time's sake." And with that, Cody dials.

"_Hello?"_

"Zack, you sound half asleep."

"_Because I was...What time is it?"_

"Quarter till eight..."

"_You do realize I don't have class for two more hours, right?"_

"Well, that's why I was calling to check. The university closed down here yesterday due to all the snow, I was wondering if it affected you guys too..."

"_No. We got a couple of inches, but nothing earth shattering..." Zack paused. "You guys had classes canceled yesterday?"_

"Yeah. The dorms didn't have power, so Max and Tapeworm crashed over her last night..."

"_Okay, a two week spring break...a reading week...and a snow day...do you two have horseshoes shoved up you...Owww!"_

"What was that?"

"_Cassie just smacked me and told me to be nice."_

"Tell Cassie I said thanks...I'll let you get back to sleep then. We're still waiting to hear if we classes today..."

"_Unbelievable..."_

Cody closed his phone and turned to Bailey. "Zack brought up an interesting point. Yesterday, we had a snow day. We never had one of those at Seven Seas High."

Bailey paused to think. "You're right. But, I guess when all you had to do was take an elevator to get to the school deck, there wouldn't me much chance of that. The only time we had classes canceled was right after the hurricane..."

Cody nods. "Between you an me, I'll take a blizzard over a hurricane any day of the week..."

"You and me both...you and me both..."

Finally, at about 8:15, Max and Tapeworm had finished their showers and are dressed too.

"Any word yet?"

Cody shook his head. "We haven't heard anything."

Max paused. "Maybe there is something on the university's TV channel?"

Everyone else looked at each other. Why hadn't they thought of that? They all went over to the TV and turned it to the Yale Educational Channel. And right there it was.

"_All Yale University classes 9:00 AM and after have been canceled. All Yale University classes 9:00 AM and after have been canceled. Stay tuned to YU4 for further details."_

Everyone looked at each other. "Another snow day I guess..."

Just then, Cody's cell phone rings. He answers it, and its Bill. He was just calling to reiterating what they had just found out. Cody thanked him for the call and hung up. He turned to Bailey.

"Well, I guess we have our homework for tomorrow and Thursday done already now..."

"So, what should we do today?"

Cody paused to think. "Well, we are already dressed for the elements. We could go outside and have a snowball fight or a snowman building competition..."

Everyone else seemed to like that idea. Before they headed out though, Tapeworm stopped Cody.

"Ummm, Cody...I do have a question for you..."

"What's that?"

"Well, early this morning I got up to use the bathroom, and well...when I went inside..."

Cody grins. "Somebody was else was already in there?"

"Yeah...It was...well..."

"Porkers?"

"So you know?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah, I trained him to do that. I don't think he would want to go out in weather like this..."

Tapeworm sighed. "Thank goodness...I thought I had gone crazy..."

The four split into couples and each couple huddled to try to come up with the best idea for the best snowman. Cody and Bailey were debating what to do.

"How about a snow Porkers?"

Bailey paused. "No...too easy."

"What do you have in mind?"

"I'm drawing a blank..."

Cody paused to think and then began grinning. "I have an idea!"

"Yeah? What?"

Cody leaned in and whispered in Bailey's ear his idea. She just looked back at him and began to laugh. "Perfect!"

Both couples began working on their snowmen. Carrots and pieces of charcoal were allowed, but there was no sense in getting clothes drenched. Cody and Bailey decided to pack the snow as tightly as they could so they could try to carve it. About an hour later, they had finished to their satisfaction and walked over to Max and Tapeworm.

"We're done!"

"So are we."

Max and Tapeworm step out of the way to unveil their snowman. It was a traditional snowman with charcoal eyes, a carrot nose and charcoal buttons with sticks for arms.

Cody and Bailey nod. "Not bad..."

Max grins. "Not bad? Let's see yours!"

Cody and Bailey take them over to theirs. Max and Tapeworm both immediately begin to laugh. The snowman has a smooth head and appears to be wearing a sport coat and shorts.

Bailey smiled. "We call it...Snow-Moseby!"

_To be Continued..._


	43. War Games

_Chapter 43_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

After the snowmen were done, it was decided a snowball fight was in order. Each couple had a half hour to build up their ammunition and fortifications, but after that, it was on. Cody and Bailey decided to build up their fort between two trees in the back yard for extra cover. When they finally got it to where they wanted it, they began packing as many snowballs as they could. They soon realized the thirty minutes were over when they saw a snowball fly over their head.

Cody turns to Bailey. "Why do I feel like we're in Fort Sumter?"

Bailey smiles. "Just remember how the well that turned out..."

Cody grinned at her. "I'm going to peek around the tree and see what we are dealing with..."

Cody laid down in the snow and peered around the tree. Max and Tapeworm had made their fort into a semicircle shape. Cody smirked. He should have known Tapeworm's mathematical brilliance would come into play. So, there was no way to hope to attack from the side. He crawled back to Bailey.

"Their fort is well designed...We need a plan!"

Bailey paused. "How about a diversion?"

Cody nodded. "Good idea. What do you have in mind exactly?"

"One of us throws a decoy snowball from one side, and when they focus on that direction, the other attacks from the other end of the fort..."

"Sounds good. Since you are actually good at baseball, I'll be the diversion..."

Bailey smiled. "Sounds good..."

Cody smiled back at her. "I'm heading off to war. I promise, I'll survive and come back to you, Sweetie..."

Bailey leaned in and kissed him. "Good luck, Private Martin..."

Cody crawled back over to the edge and quickly lobbed two snowballs at the other fort. And like expected, more snowballs were coming back his direction. The next thing he knew he heard cries from the other fort that they were being attacked from the other side. Cody quickly crawled back to the middle where he met Bailey.

"I think you got them, Bails!"

Just then, a whole slew of new snowballs come flying overhead.

Bailey laughed. "Maybe not..."

Cody paused to think. "We need a new plan..."

"Any ideas?"

Cody looked around as he thought. "Maybe I do...Here's my idea..." Cody quickly explained his idea to Bailey and she agreed to it.

Fifteen minutes later, Cody stood up with his hands raised in the air. Max and Tapeworm were about to unload on him when Cody shouted out.

"My hands are up!"

Max and Tapeworm stood with their snowballs ready to be unleashed.

"Where's Bailey?"

Cody smiled. "Right behind you!"

Max and Tapeworm turn and both are immediately pelted with a snowball. Cody comes over and high fives Bailey.

Max just looks at them. "No fair!"

"How so?"

"You surrendered!"

Cody smiled. "No I didn't. I just said my hands were up..."

Max huffs. "How did Bailey get behind us anyways?"

Bailey smiled. "Easy, I went around the duplex and snuck up from behind..."

Max just shakes her head.

Tapeworm finally speaks. "Alright, we are all wet and cold. I say we all head inside now..."

Cody nodded. "Good idea..."

Everyone returned inside to warm up. Cody and Bailey returned to their bedroom to change into warmer, drier clothes while Max and Tapeworm changed in the home office and bathroom respectively. Once changed, Bailey put all of their wet clothes in the dryer. Everyone returned to the living room, and Max had to smile again.

"Do you two have an unending supply of pajama pants?"

Cody and Bailey look down and notice Cody has on the Yale pair Bailey got him for his birthday two years ago while Bailey has on a matching pair except hers are navy blue and pink plaid.

Bailey shrugged. "More gifts from the other..."

Cody turned to everyone. "So, what sounds like fun? More Wii? TV? a movie? a board game?"

"What games do you have?"

Bailey paused. "Let's see...Monopoly, Life, Taboo, Trivial Pursuit..."

Max interrupted. "Yeah, Zack and Cassie say to never play that one with you two..."

Tapeworm shrugs. "How about Monopoly then? Its a classic..."

So, before long, they were all sitting around the coffee table playing Monopoly. After a while, everyone had defined which areas of the board they were trying to control.

Tapeworm turned to Cody. "You know, for someone who grew up in a luxury hotel, you seem to enjoy being a slumlord..."

Cody grinned. "All part of my strategy..."

Bailey just rolled her eyes. "Don't listen to him..."

Max laughed. "As opposed to you who has tried to corner the greens and yellows..."

"I don't have them all..."

"Yeah, I know...Cody is holding North Carolina Avenue..."

Cody smiles. "That's true, Bails..."

Bailey turned and gave Cody her best puppy dog eyes. "Codykins...I'll love you forever if you sell that to me..."

Cody smiled. "You've already said you'd love me forever regardless..."

Tapeworm spoke up. "Wait a minute here! No trying to butter up another player to get what you want!"

Bailey sighed. "I was going to pay him a fair price for it..."

Tapeworm pauses. "Cody...I'll give you St. Charles Place and Oriental Avenue to make sure Bailey doesn't get her corner from hell..."

Max was about to say something when Cody spoke up first. "Deal!"

Max just looked at Tapeworm. "What did you just do?"

Bailey turned to Cody. "Codykins!"

Cody just smiled. "Bails...You know any place of mine you are welcome..."

"Well...alright..."

Cody grinned. "It just may cost you!"

Bailey just shook her head and playfully slapped Cody's shoulder.

Well, as the game went on, people hadn't noticed Max had quietly built her own trap. She now owned the orange properties and the red properties as well as all four railroads. In the end, it didn't matter how much of a slumlord Cody was, he couldn't afford the hotel on Kentucky Avenue.

With Max victorious, they decided to just watch some TV the rest of the afternoon. Flipping through the channels, the came upon an old episode of Friends.

"Hey, its the episode where Rachel teaches Ross's son to play practical jokes..."

Bailey paused. "Is it just me or does Ross's son Ben look awfully familiar?"

Tapeworm shrugged. "A little, but I don't know from where..."

Max paused to think. "Its that kid who played the kid in Big Daddy..."

Bailey nodded. "That's right. For some reason, Cody loves that movie. But, he looks so familiar. I feel like I should know this..." She pauses. "I've got it! He kind of sort of looks like the pictures of Cody did when he was younger!"

Max and Tapeworm look back at the TV and then at Cody. "Maybe because they were both blonde, but I don't see it..."

Bailey shrugs. "Maybe I was wrong..."

Cody just shakes his head and laughs. Again, he turns towards your computer screen and winks.

_To be Continued..._


	44. Life Resumes

_Chapter 44_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The rest of the evening included hanging out, having dinner, and hanging out some more. Before they went to bed, they checked the news again. It appeared that the worst of the storm was over, and by the end of the week, the sun would be out again and help melt that snow. The last thing they did was check the Yale University channel. According to it, classes were back on the next day as scheduled. Everyone sighed knowing their brief vacation was over. However, the good news was that power had been restored to all university buildings and dorms.

Max sighed. "Well, I guess we can head back now..."

Bailey shook her head. "Its already late, and you're both already dressed for bed. Just stay here tonight, and we can run you and your stuff back over tomorrow after class..."

"You sure? I mean, you guys have already done so much for us already..."

Cody smiled. "We told you it was our pleasure. Plus, we've had a lot of fun with you guys the past couple of days..."

Tapeworm sighs. "I just hope its not too hard going back to class tomorrow..."

Max nodded. "I know. Wednesdays are my long day. Class at 10:00, 1:00 and 2:00..."

"Mine too...10:00...11:00 and 2:00..."

Cody turned to Bailey. "I'm glad tomorrow is one of our easy days..."

Bailey nodded. "I know..." She turned to Max and Tapeworm. "We're both done tomorrow at 11:50 and we'll be here after about 12:30, so whenever you two are done, just stop by..."

After that, they wished each other goodnight and went to bed. As they laid in bed, Bailey snuggled closer to Cody again.

"Well, I guess we'll get our tests back tomorrow..."

Cody nodded. "Yeah, our Chemistry grades should be posted..."

"Our Econometrics and ISP tests too..."

Cody turned to her. "I almost forgot. Bill said he already graded them and told me we both did our usual. I guess when Jo said the university was closed, it slipped my mind..."

Bailey smiled at him. "I'll let it slide this one time...Though I'm not sure I should after what you did in Monopoly earlier..."

"Oh really?"

"Uh huh..."

"Says the lady who once challenged me on the word 'quixotry' in Scrabble..."

Bailey laughed. "I had to! You were going to get 365 points for one word!"

Cody smiled. "But what did the dictionary tell you?"

Bailey sighed. "That it was a real word..."

Cody grinned. "Besides...I was due to win one of those games..."

Bailey just shook her head. "I'm just glad we're on the same team for Jeopardy..."

"And we're going to dominate...I just know it."

"You really think so?"

"Of course..."

"Cody?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

"If we do win, what are we going to do with the prize money?"

Cody paused. "Probably be a good idea to invest it. We might need it for grad school..."

Bailey smiled. "What if we get scholarships and a stipend for that too?"

"Then, we'll have a nice down payment when we are ready to buy our first house..."

"I like the sound of that...Our first house..."

"Me too...And we have plenty of time to figure out what we want in a house..."

Bailey grinned. "You're right. And we'll know the perfect house when we see it..."

Soon enough, it was the next morning. And after two days of doing essentially nothing, the entire campus was back in class. Wednesday proceeded as a normal day except most students on campus had gotten spoiled by sleeping in the past two days. Upon returning from class, Cody and Bailey only had to do their prep work for their Genetics lab the next day. And while they were at it, they went ahead and did their homework and reading for their only class on Friday.

By the time they finished, It was after a little after three, and Max and Tapeworm would be arriving soon. They did finally show up, and after loading up all of their bags, Cody and Bailey dropped them back off at their dorms. The roads were much better by Wednesday afternoon, but not ones that anyone would want to be on if they didn't have to.

Returning home, Cody and Bailey just hung around the house. With all of their homework done for the week already, they spent some time on their laptops. Surfing around for trivia sites, Cody found a site called Sporcle that was full of quizzes that covered everything from history to pop culture. Both readily agreed that it looked a good sight to practice. After all, they only had about a month before they filmed. After spending several hours taking some of the quizzes, they decided it was time for dinner.

After dinner, they just hung out in the living room. Bailey was watching TV while Cody was messing around on his laptop.

"Taking more tests, Codykins?"

Cody shook his head. "No...I was just looking into the application time lines for law schools, med school and vet schools..."

Bailey scooted over next to him so she could see the monitor.

"What have you found out?"

"Well, it seems the GRE, MCAT and LSAT are all computerized now."

Bailey nods. "Okay...Does it say when we should take them?"

Cody searches. "Well, it says most people take them during the junior years or early senior years. Our junior year is next year..."

Bailey pauses. "So, should we go ahead and sign up to take them next year?"

Cody sat there thinking. "Yeah...It might not be a bad idea to sign up to take them next fall..."

"So we can have all summer studying and taking practice tests..."

"Exactly..." Cody paused. "You know. I should just focus on one of them so I don't spread myself out too thin..."

"Which one are you going to choose?"

"I'm thinking the MCAT for now. I hear it the more difficult of the two..."

Bailey nods. "Whichever one you want to choose, you have my support..."

"You know...this also brings up another big question for us..."

"What's that?"

"They're going to want to know which schools to send our scores too...And right after we get our scores back, we're going to need to start applying."

Bailey paused. "You're right..."

Cody smiled. "Tell you what...Why don't you pull up a list of the top vet schools, I'll pull up a list of the top med schools, and we'll compare them..."

Bailey smiled. "Good idea."

Bailey got her laptop and both proceed to look up their respective lists on the US News & World Report website. They sat there side by side, and compared them. Looking at both lists, they see that there are five schools highly ranked in both – Cornell, Penn, Wisconsin, Tufts and UC-Davis.

"Quite a list, huh?"

Bailey nods. "I know Cornell and Penn are Ivy League schools, so we knew they would be good. I've just never been to either Ithaca or Philadelphia..."

"I know...And I've never been to Madison, and I'm not quite sure where UC-Davis is..."

Bailey quickly looked it up. "Its in the Sacramento area..."

"Closest I've been to Sacramento was the time we stopped in San Francisco..."

"Same here..."

"So, what do you think?"

Bailey paused to think. "I say we apply to those five plus a safety school..."

"What do you have in mind?"

Bailey looked at both lists again. "Well, the next lower tier would include schools like Ohio State, Florida, and Missouri..."

"You choose. I told you I would follow you wherever..." Cody teased her then. "But would a self respecting Kansan dare go to a school in Missouri?"

Bailey just laughed. "How about all three? It says we can send out scores to up to eight schools..."

Cody nods. "And preference among them?"

Bailey sighed. "I don't know. Either way, we'll be together, so we have that going for us...but, if I had to give a top three...I'd say Cornell and Penn due to their prestige and Tufts due to it being in a city we both know and love..."

"Don't worry, Bails. We'll find the right fit for us..."

_To be Continued..._


	45. Heading West

_Chapter 45_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next couple of weeks, Cody and Bailey were busy with their school work and preparing for the second round of tests before spring break. Naturally, they had both done really well on the first round of tests. But, during this time, they were also sent a letter from Sony Pictures instructing them to call the studio so they can book their flights and reserve their hotel room in Phoenix. Both thought it would be a good idea to have the room be in Bailey's name. Also, they were instructed to stop by the bookstore as the University had chosen which sweatshirt they wanted them to wear on air. Both were relieved to find a simple navy blue one with white letters with the crest underneath. They were given several of them in hopes they would film on several days.

By the time the last weeks of classes arrived before spring break, everything was settled. They were scheduled to be in Phoenix by that Sunday. It was worked out that they would have a long layover in Kansas City where one of Bailey's sisters would be there to pick up Porkers. And Yale provided a shuttle service to airports in both Hartford and New York, so Cody and Bailey didn't have to worry about long term parking. Once spring break was over, they would fly back into New York and catch the shuttle back.

But before they could worry about leaving for the desert, they had their second round of tests. Fortunately, the two weeks proceeding spring break had the tests spread out. So, they had plenty of time to study for each one. Of course, after each test, both felt like they did well on it. And to make matters better, the weather had improved dramatically as well. While the mid 40's in March wasn't balmy, it wasn't bitterly cold anymore either.

Finally, the Friday before spring break arrived and Cody and Bailey were now done for two weeks. They spent the afternoon doing the laundry they would need for their two weeks away. Plus, due to forecasts of Phoenix being in the high 70s, they broke out some of their shorts, skirts and dresses (Bailey for the last two, not Cody). They even were going to pack their bathing suits.

Saturday was spent packing and spending one last day quizzing themselves. The decided not to burn themselves out though and called it a day before dinner. That evening was spent watching some mind numbing television. They thought about going out, but campus was already a ghost town. Besides, they had to be up early the next morning to catch the shuttle. In fact, the most they left the apartment was walking next door to make sure Jo and Bill didn't mind gathering their mail while they were gone. Of course, Bill couldn't help but let them know that they had both smoked more of his exams.

As they sat there just taking it easy before they headed out the next day, Cody turned to Bailey.

"You know what else is going to happen while we are in Phoenix?"

"What's that?"

"Our anniversary..."

Bailey smiled. "You remembered..."

"Of course...You think I'd ever forget the day that the most beautiful woman in the world agreed to finally go out with me?"

"Well, with the blizzard, exams and preparing to go to Phoenix, I wouldn't have blamed you if you had..."

Cody smiled. "I would never do that. And as its my turn this year to take care of everything, I've done just that..."

"Any hints?"

"Nope..."

Bailey grinned. "But Codykins..."

Cody grinned right back. "No way, my little hay bale..."

Bailey gave him a fake frown. "But I thought you loved me..."

Cody cups her cheeks with his hands. "Sweetie, there are no words to describe just how much I do love you. That's why I want to make this special and show you my thanks for the best three years of my life..."

Bailey smiled at him. "Without a doubt the best three years of my life too. And I know exactly what you mean about words being insufficient. But Cody, you show me everyday how much you love me, and I hope I do the same."

Cody smiled back at her. "You do, Sweetheart...You do..."

"Still no hints though, right?"

"Not a one..."

Bailey just cuddled up closer to him. "Its okay. I know what ever you have planned, I'll love..." Bailey paused. "Cody?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

"Will we still celebrate this anniversary after we're married?"

"I don't know about you, but I fully plan on it..."

Bailey sighed. "I do too...It would be nice if we could save it as our anniversary and get married on it in two years..."

"I know...but it won't bother me to have another day where I get show you just how much you mean to me..."

Bailey giggled. "That is true..."

"And theoretically, we will be on spring break for it in two years, but there's no guarantee everyone else we want to be there for it can be..."

"I know. I know summer means the people we love and care about will actually be able to be there..."

"And they will be. It will be perfect. Just you wait and see..."

The next morning, they were showered and dressed and ready to go when the shuttle pulled up outside. The next thing they knew, they were traveling down I-95 on their way towards JFK Airport. A couple of hours later, they were at the airport and waiting to take off. To make the hand off easier, their stop in Kansas City wasn't going to be considered a true layover. They were going to get their bags and recheck them after Porkers was picked up. A couple of hours later, they were landing in Kansas City. Returning to the baggage area, they gathered their bags and Porkers. They sat waiting on Bailey's sister to show up. Finally, they looked up, and there was Mandy.

"So, where are you two crazy kids heading off too?"

Bailey hugged her sister. "Oh, just a little fun in the sun..."

Mandy nods. "Well, after those pictures you sent us of the blizzard, I don't blame you in the least. That didn't look fun at all..."

"It wasn't so bad..." Bailey grinned. "It just meant we had to spend more time inside together trying to keep warm..."

Mandy rolled her eyes. "Too much information, Little Sis..."

Cody just stood there shaking his head.

But Mandy turns to him. "You sure you know what you are doing marrying her?"

Cody smiled. "Some days I wonder..."

Bailey turns to him. "Hey!"

"I'm just kidding, Bails. I know exactly what I'm doing and wouldn't change a thing..."

"Better..."

Mandy shrugged. "Well, she's the stubborn, headstrong one in the family..."

"Oh, I know...And I love that about her..."

"Well, I should be getting back to Kettlecorn...Is Porkers ready?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah, he's right here..." Bailey leans down to talk to Porkers. "I need you to be good while Cody and I are away. Can you do that for us?"

Porkers oinked.

Bailey smiled at him. "I knew you would. We'll see you soon, okay?"

Mandy left with Porkers in tow, and Cody and Bailey turned around, checked their bags again and went back through security to await their flight into Phoenix. As they sat there waiting, Cody turned to her.

"He'll be fine. He'll be running around sticking his snout into anything and everything. By the time he misses us, we'll be back..."

Bailey nodded. "You're right...I'm just so used to having him around."

"So am I."

Soon, their flight was called, and they boarded. Two hours later, they were landing in Phoenix. After they disembarked the plane, they gathered their luggage and began to look around. Supposedly, someone was supposed to be meeting them at the airport. Finally, the saw someone holding a sign that said 'B. Pickett & C. Martin'. They approached the man and identified themselves. A few minutes later, they were on their way.

Cody turned to Bailey. "You ready?"

Bailey nodded. "Let's do this!"

_To be Continued..._


	46. Preliminary Matters

_Chapter 46_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

A little while later, Cody and Bailey were dropped off in front of the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, the hotel they would be staying at. A bellboy brought their bags inside as Bailey walked up to the front desk to check in. Along with their keys, there was also a packet waiting on them from Sony Pictures Studio. After, being shown to their room, they begin to look through their packet.

"So, is there anything we have to do tonight, or does everything start tomorrow?"

Bailey continued looking over the packet. "What time is it now?"

"5:30, Mountain Time..."

"We're supposed to meet in one of the ballrooms for an opening night banquet and introduction at 7:30..."

"How dressed up?"

"It says since everyone is a college student, dress casual..."

"Let me guess...In our school t-shirts?"

Bailey smiled. "That's what is says..."

Cody laughed. "Glad we packed them then..."

Bailey paused. "There is also another note asking us to call the executive producer's room as soon as we get in..."

Cody shrugged. "Let's give him a call then..."

It seems the executive producer needed to speak with them immediately and asked them to come up to his suite. Both stopped unpacking and headed upstairs. Once they got to his door, they knocked and an older gentleman opened the door. He invited them to sit on a couch in the lounge area of his room.

"Miss Pickett, Mr. Martin...Thank you both for coming to see me so quickly. It seems we have an issue that we need your assistance with..."

Cody and Bailey looked at each other not sure what was going on.

"It seems you two have some prior history with one of the contestants from another team. Actually, it appears that you have a restraining order against her..."

Cody and Bailey immediately turn to each other again. "Could it be?"

Just then, there is another knock at the door. The executive produce got up to answer it again and brought two more people into the lounge. Cody and Bailey stared in shock. One of them was Barbara.

The executive producer turned to Cody and Bailey. "I know this may be very uncomfortable for the two of you, but we are hoping we can work out an arrangement..."

Cody paused. "We'll listen, but I want to make it clear that we do not in any way waive the protection of the restraining order we have against her..."

The executive producer nodded. "Fair enough. This is team Harvard. We have a back-up team from Harvard ready to hop onto a plane if something can not be worked out here..."

Cody and Bailey nod. Bailey speaks up. "Alright, Barbara...Explain to us why we shouldn't have you sent home right now let alone arrested..."

Its obvious Barbara wanted to smart off at that, but she composed herself. "Look, I'm here for the same reason you two are. Too compete for my school and hopefully win some scholarship money..."

Bailey nodded. "So, if we agree to this, does this mean you will leave us alone for the duration for our stay here, and once this is over, stay away from us?"

Barbara paused to collect herself again. "Yes. I've moved on with my life. My teammate, Mark, is not only my friend but he's my boyfriend. I've told him everything that happened..."

Cody and Bailey take in the young man standing next to her. At best, he can be described as average. At worst, he can be described as homely. "Can Bailey and I have a few minutes to talk about this?"

Everyone nodded and gave Cody and Bailey a few minutes.

"What do you think?"

Bailey paused. "As long as she leaves us alone, I can deal with it..."

Cody nodded. "Are you sure? You give the word and we'll have her on the next flight out of here..."

Bailey nodded. "I'm sure. It will make it that much sweeter when we beat her..."

Cody smiled. "And I know we will..."

Bailey smiled back at him. "And even if we don't...I still won the most important thing – you."

"And nothing will ever take me away from you..."

Bailey giggled. "Besides, Barbara seems to keep trading down. Bob is a nice guy, but he's not you. And this new guy..."

Cody laughed. "I know..."

Cody and Bailey waive the others back in.

"Okay, we will go along with this, but Barbara has to leave us alone except in situations where the show dictates it..."

The executive producer sighed. "Thank you..."

Cody smiled. "Besides, my _fiancee_ and I want to beat the best of the best..."

Cody and Bailey study Barbara's reaction to that. Both can tell she is seething and wants to say something, but wisely, she keeps her mouth shut. Once the meeting was over, Cody and Bailey returned to their room. They grab a quick shower and get dressed in shorts and their Yale t-shirts. They had to get moving to make it to the opening banquet.

Once they arrived at the ballroom, they found fifteen small tables set up around the room, each holding a placard with a school logo. They quickly found the one with the Yale logo, and notice the one with the Harvard logo is on the other side of the room. Soon, others starting filling into the room, and before long, all the tables were full. Eventually, someone got up that everyone immediately recognized, and he walked to the podium.

"Good evening, everyone. I'm Alex Trebek. I would like to officially welcome you all to the first ever Jeopardy College Team Tournament. We are looking forward to a good week of competition. But first, I want to fill you all in on how this is going to work. We will be filming all of the episodes in the Grand Canyon Ballroom, and it is being set up as we speak..."

He shuffled some papers before he continued. "Now, I'm sure you are all wondering how this is going to work exactly. Well, it will be the same as regular Jeopardy with a few differences. First, you will not be recognized by your individual names. Rather, you will be recognized by your school name. For example, I will call you Team Stanford or Team Yale or so on. Second, each member of the team will have their own signaling button. Team consultations will be allowed as long as you get your answer in before time runs out. Beyond that, its the same game I hope you all have been watching for years..."

He pulls out another sheet of paper. "Alright, here is the schedule for the week. Tomorrow and Tuesday will be free days for you here to relax. The stage will be available on Tuesday if you want to get used to it and want to practice using the signaling buttons. The first five games will be taped on Wednesday. From those episodes, the five winners and four other teams with the highest money amounts will move on to the semi-finals. The semi-finals will be determined in the following ways. The five winners will be seeds 1-5 based on their amounts won. The other four teams will be seeded 6-9 based on their amounts as well. One semifinal will be seeds 1, 6 and 7. Another will be seeds 2, 5 and 8. The last semifinal will be seeds 3, 4 and 9. Alright, I bet everyone is curious to see what the first round matchups are. They were all drawn randomly."

Alex Trebek walks over to 15 boards on easels. As he turns over the first three, he speaks. "Game one will be contested among Team Harvard, Team Arizona State and Team Northwestern..."

He moves on to the next three boards. "Game two will be contested among Team Princeton, Team UCLA and Team Georgia..."

Moving on to the next three boards. "Game three will be contested among Team Penn, Team Stanford, and Team Georgetown."

Moving on the next to last set of boards. "Game four will be among Team Cornell, Team Texas and Team Kentucky..."

Finally, he moves on to the last three boards. "Game five will be among Team Duke, Team Ohio State, and Team Yale..."

After the announcements, everyone in the room began to look around to scout their competition. Of course, Cody and Bailey knew they couldn't tell anything from appearances, but they were hoping their opponents would take them lightly. But, they knew they weren't going to do the same. Both knew Duke and Ohio State were good schools, so they should expect them to be represented well.

Soon, the actual meal was served, and afterwards, there was a mixer for all the participants. Cody and Bailey stood there sipping their fruit juice when two people walked over to them. Before they could say anything, both noticed the Duke logos on their shirts. It was two guys, and both fitted the usual description of nerds.

"So, you're team Yale..."

Cody nodded. "That's us..."

"Well, good luck...You're both going to need it!" And with that, they walk off.

Cody couldn't help but laugh as he turned to Bailey. "And here I thought Duke was only pricks in basketball..."

Bailey could only laugh at that. "Let them think what they want. We'll just have to show them not to mess with us..."

_To be Continued..._


	47. A Day in the Desert

_Chapter 47_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next morning, Bailey woke up feeling kisses being placed on her neck. She immediately smiled before she even opened her eyes. Sensing she was now awake, Cody leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"Happy Anniversary, my Love..."

Bailey turned so she could face Cody. "Happy Anniversary to you too, Codykins..." She leaned in and kissed him.

"You ready for your day of surprises?"

Bailey smiled. "I always love your surprises..."

"Good, because we need to get up and moving..."

Bailey sat up and noticed it was only 5:30. "What do you have planned this early?"

Cody grinned. "You'll see..."

About forty five minutes later, Bailey found herself being lead by Cody along a path to the edge of the resort property. She noticed some stables in the distance, but didn't think that's where they were headed. But, Cody kept leading her in that direction. Finally, the arrived at the stables, and Cody walked up to the manager.

"Excuse me, we have a reservation for two under Martin..."

The man grunts and leads them into the stable. "What kind of experience do you two have on horses?"

Cody shrugs. "This will be my first time..."

Bailey smiled. "I'm experienced..."

"Well, we'll put the filly on Thunder over here, and we'll put the cowpoke on ol' Gluestick over there..."

Bailey did her best not to laugh, but Cody just shrugged.

"Don't worry, I'll show him everything he needs to know..."

The man nods. "You should be fine this time of morning. The rattlesnakes don't come out till its warmer..."

Cody immediately turned to him. "R..R...Rattlesnakes?"

Bailey just grabbed his arm and led him over to their two horses. Surprising enough, Cody was actually able to get up on his horse the first time. Once he was settled, Bailey climbed up on to hers, and they began to walk along one of the trails.

But there was a reason Cody had chosen to horseback ride this early in the morning. The sun was still coming up, and it was painting the sky a multitude of colors in the desert sky.

Bailey turned to him. "I can't believe you thought of this..."

Cody smiled. "I thought you would enjoy it..."

"Oh, I do...Its gorgeous out here. Isn't it the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?"

Cody smiled at her again. "Third most beautiful..."

"Third?"

"Well, Hawaii is second...and you know what number one is..."

Bailey smiled at him. "I have a pretty good idea what you think number one is..."

"Well, I happen to be right about that..."

Bailey just shook her head. "Well, thank you for that and thank you for this morning. This was a really great way to start the day. It's been very relaxing and peaceful..."

Cody grinned. "If you think this was relaxing and peaceful, you ain't seen nothing yet..."

By the time their ride was over, it was close to to 10:00 AM – just in time to hit the brunch buffet at one of the hotel restaurants. Fortunately, Jeopardy was picking up the food tab for the contestants while they were on the hotel property. Well, not really picking up the tab, the hotel offered it to the show to entice them to film there.

Brunch was delicious, and they took their time as Cody's next surprise wasn't until 12:30. As it got close to noon, Cody directed Bailey towards the spa area.

"Cody, where are we going?"

Cody smiled. "Just borrowing an idea that you had last year..."

And that's what he had planned. They were lead into a private changing room where both changed into resort robes. From there, Cody had a couple's hot stone message ready for them. As Bailey laid there, she felt even the slightest tensions inside of her melting away. Once that was done, they were lead to a water massage area. It was private, so they could drop their robes without any worry and both slipped into a warm tub that had massaging jets to continue relaxing them. Bailey wasn't sure she had ever felt more relaxed in her whole life. From there, they were lead to a private cabana overlooking the sanctuary pool with the desert and mountains as a backdrop. There was a large lounge chair with a fan circulating over top of it. They both just laid in the lounge chair relaxing.

"Cody, thank you so much..."

"I take it this was to your liking?"

"Oh yeah..." She leaned over and kissed him.

"Good. You deserve to be treated like a queen..."

She looked up at him and smiled. "I am everyday..."

"Well, I just wanted to make this day perfect for you..."

"Cody, it is...And knowing you, its far from over, isn't it?"

Cody just grinned. "Maybe..."

Bailey just snuggled closer to him. "Whatever it is can wait...I just want to stay here like this a little longer..."

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be..."

After a couple more hours of just relaxing and sharing more than a few kisses, they realized it was time for them to get moving. But they didn't get up out of the chair until they finished watching the sunset over the desert and mountains. Once they did, the returned back and changed before they headed back to their room.

"Bails, the next part is your choice..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I have reservations at the the nicest restaurant in the hotel, Tuscany or we can stay here and order room service..."

Bailey paused to think. "Hmmmm..." She grinned. "Something tells me if we stayed here, we might get distracted..."

Cody grinned right back. "And that would be a bad thing?"

"Not at all...But we need to be on our best Wednesday, so we shouldn't be skipping any meals..."

Cody nodded. "You're right..."

"But after dinner...We can get distracted as much as we want to..."

Cody smiled. "Sounds like a plan to me..."

Both grabbed a quick shower – separately. They knew if they took one together, they would get distracted. Both dressed up and made it down to the restaurant just in time for their reservation. They were seated in a secluded table that Cody had requested. And both were carrying packages that the other could only surmise were anniversary gifts.

After being seated, the took a look at their menus. The restaurant was an Italian one, and both loved Italian food. So, both struggled to pick just one thing. Cody suggested they order two different meals and they could share. Bailey just smiled and readily accepted that suggestion.

The waiter finally arrived, and they placed their orders. As they sat there waiting for their appetizer, they were just talking about the day they had and the rest of the week they were looking at. However, a woman's scream from the table behind them broke them out of their reverie.

"Oh my God! He's choking!"

Cody immediately turned around and saw an man in his mid to late thirties with his hands around his throat gasping for air. Immediately, Cody got up and rushed over to the man. Cody proceeded to give the man the Heimlich Maneuver, and a piece of food finally came shooting out of his mouth. The man finally sat back down and tried to catch his breath.

Cody knelt down and looked up at him. "Are you alright?"

The man nodded while still trying to get air. "Yeah...I am thanks to you."

Cody smiled. "My pleasure..."

"I owe you one, man..."

"Just glad I could help..."

"What's your name?"

Cody paused and spoke very softly. "I'm Cody...Cody Martin..."

"Nice to meet you Cody. I'm Steve...Steve Nash..."

_To be Continued..._


	48. Behind the Scenes

_Chapter 48_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

By this time, Bailey has joined Cody. Steve Nash is still trying to catch his breath, but is doing much better now.

"Mr. Nash, this is my fiancee, Bailey Pickett. Bailey, this gentleman's name is Steve Nash if I caught it correctly..."

Bailey smiles. "A pleasure..."

Steve looks at them both. "Nice to meet you. This is my wife Alejandra." He pauses. "Cody Martin...Why does that name seem familiar to me?"

Cody and Bailey just look at each other. "Ummm...No reason..."

"Well, whatever the reason, I want to thank you again. Please allow us to pick up your tab this evening..."

Cody smiled. "No need. Our tab is already being picked up by the resort..."

"How did you pull that one off?"

"Umm...Well, we're here as special guests of the hotel..."

Steve Nash nods. "Ahh okay..." He pauses. "Wait a minute...I know what it is!"

Bailey and Cody look at each other nervously.

"You two are here part of that Jeopardy thing..."

Cody and Bailey sigh in relief. "Yeah, that's why were here."

"What school are you representing?"

"Yale University..."

Steve nods. "Very impressive...I played ball at Santa Clara before I got drafted..."

Cody looked confused. "Drafted?"

Steve just looks at him. "You have no idea who I am, do you?"

Cody shook his head. "I'm sorry...I sure don't. Should I?"

Steve just laughs. "Not unless you follow the NBA...I've just been a two time NBA MVP for the Phoenix Suns..."

"Sorry. I'm a Celtics fan, but that's the extent of it. I'm more of a baseball fan...But I can tell by the Italian leather shoes you are wearing that you must do quite well..." He turns to Bailey and whispers. "What is it with me and pro athletes from the state of Arizona?"

Unfortunately, Steve Nash overhears him. "That's where I know the name Cody Martin! You're the guy who injured Kurt Warner and forced him to retire!"

Cody tried to shush him. "It was an accident!"

"Uh huh..."

"Look, we were playing football, and it was my job to rush the quarterback. There was some accidental contact, and he went down. I didn't know it was going to tear up his knee..."

Steve just looks at him and begins to laugh. "What are the odds? The guy who injures Kurt Warner saves my life. You know, this might get the fans of Arizona off your back..."

Cody shrugs. "While that would be nice, I don't hold out much hope of that. We're trying to keep a low profile while we're here and slip out unnoticed..."

"Just give me the word, and I'll make sure all the press here knows what you did..."

"I appreciate the offer, but today is Bailey and my anniversary. I don't want anything to distract from that. I'll just try to continue to fly under the radar while we're here. Besides, we're here to compete on Jeopardy...if the press knew I was here, I'm afraid they would constantly hound us, and we don't need that while we're trying to concentrate..."

Steve Nash nods. "I can understand that..." He pauses. "When does your plane leave from here?"

"Early Sunday morning..."

"Tell you what. Something may slip to the press about what happened Sunday afternoon. How does that sound?"

Bailey smiled. "That sounds just fine!"

"Well, we'll let you two get back to your anniversary. Happy Anniversary by the way. And thank you again..."

"You're welcome, and good luck to you...except against the C's" Cody paused. "...But if you beat the Lakers, it won't break my heart..."

Steve laughs. "I'll see what we can do..."

Cody and Bailey return to their table just in time for their food to arrive. They tried to put everything else behind them and enjoy their meal. They took turns feeding each other and sharing their meals. When the restaurant found out it was their anniversary, they gave them a complimentary Ooey Gooey Pizzookie – a half chocolate brownie/half chocolate chip cookie served warm with house-made vanilla ice cream and designed for two people to share. Again, they took turns feeding each other. At one point, Cody had a dab of ice cream on the tip of his nose.

Finally, Bailey spoke. "Ready for your gift?"

Cody smiled. "If you are ready for yours..."

Bailey pulled out a small, long wrapped box. "They say the gift for the third anniversary is leather..."

Cody looked amused and began to slowly unwrap the box. Inside, he found a long velvet case, and he slowly opened it. Inside was a skeleton watch with a leather band. He looked at Bailey and smiled.

"I've wanted one of these for forever..."

Bailey smiled. "I know...I was listening. Did you read the inscription?"

Cody lifted the watch out and turned it over. Sure enough, there was an engraved inscription.

"_Cody, While the hands of time are always changing, the love I have for you never will. Bailey"_

Cody looks back up at her. "Thank you so much, Bails...I love it and I love you..."

Bailey just smiled back at him.

Cody reached down and picked up a rectangular shaped box. "Your turn, Sweetie..." He hands the box to her. "I guess we were thinking alike again..."

Bailey slowly opens the gift, and inside, she finds a beautiful leather jewelry box. "Cody, its beautiful..."

Cody smiled and pulled a second, much smaller box out of his pocket. "I figured you could use something to put inside of it..." He hands the box to Bailey.

She slowly opens it, and finds a similar velvet box to the one Cody found. She opened it, and inside, she found a sliver necklace with intertwined hearts. On on top of each heart was engraved each of their names, and at the bottom, the words 'Together Forever' were engraved. Bailey looked up with the most beaming smile. "Cody..."

"Do you like it?"

"I absolutely love it...Thank you so much..." Bailey gets up, comes over and sits on his lap. She leans down and kisses him. "Thank you for an absolutely perfect anniversary. I love you so much..."

"I love you so much too..."

Bailey smiled. "What do you say we get out of here and see if we can find something to...distract us..."

Cody smiled. "As you wish..."

Since their bill was already taken care of, the both hurried back to their room. Once there, they proceeded to make love the rest of the evening. The next morning, they both woke up still tired, but both had the biggest grins on their faces.

That Tuesday, they took it easy that day. That morning, they went down to the theater and walked around where they would be filming. They were allowed on the stage and even allowed to practice with the signaling buttons. After a little while, both had the use of them down pat.

After that, they decided against trying to cram anymore. Instead, they decided to just hang out by the pool. It was spring break after all. While they were lounging around the pool, both noticed Barbara and her new beau sitting on the other side. So, every once in a while, Bailey would lean over and plant long kisses on Cody. Cody didn't object in the least. Later, Cody and Bailey were relaxing in the hot tub. Bailey could feel Barbara glaring at them again. So, she climbed on to Cody's lap and began making out with him hot and heavy. It wasn't something Bailey normally would do in public, but she felt like giving Barbara a definitive statement that Cody was all hers. Again, Cody didn't object. As they left the pool, Bailey gave a little wave to Barbara that clearly showed off her engagement ring. Back in the room, they did decide on room service and ordered everything they could think of that would be considered brain food.

Finally, Wednesday morning arrived, and they were up and dressed early. They headed down for breakfast. Both were a little nervous, so didn't want to put anything heavy on their stomachs. Both did make sure to eat two bananas so they would have an extra boost of potassium.

Finally, at noon, they showed up with everyone else in jeans and their college sweatshirts. Before they began, they all had to sign confidentiality agreements in which they promised they would not reveal the results of any of the games until after they had been aired. Cody and Bailey didn't have a problem with that as they hadn't told anyone they were coming to film it.

Finally, all of them were met one more time by Alex Trebek.

"I hope everyone is ready...Because its time to play Jeopardy!"

_To be Continued..._


	49. Spring Break in Kettlecorn

_Chapter 49_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

On Sunday morning, Cody and Bailey were picked up at the resort and driven back to the airport. Again, they went through security and waited in the terminal with their carry-on bags. Since they had close to hour until their plane was to board, they grabbed a quick breakfast in the terminal. As tempting as the Cinnabon was, they both resisted the urge and found something a little more healthier. Finally, their flight was called and both settled into their seats, both happy that they had gotten in and out Arizona with no major problems. For the next two hours, they sat there, holding hands, talking about their upcoming week in Kettlecorn and what they had to do when they returned to New Haven.

The plane landed in Kansas City, and they made their way to the baggage claim to get their bags. After they did, they turned around and were surprised by what they saw. Joe himself was there to pick them up. He hugged his daughter and shook his future son-in-law's hand. He lead them back out to his king cab and loaded their bags into the back seat along side of Cody. Bailey took the passenger's seat next to her dad.

"So, did you two have fun this past week?"

Bailey smiled. "We did. It was very educational..."

Joe nodded. "So...How was Phoenix?"

Bailey answered without thinking. "It was..." She paused. "Wait a minute. How did you know we were in Phoenix? We never told anyone where we were going..."

Joe laughed. "Oh, its not much of a secret anymore...I was listening to sports talk radio this morning, and ESPN had a news flash were NBA star Steve Nash gave an interview about how he had been saved from choking by a Cody Martin..."

"Oh..."

"At first I thought it was just a coincidence, but when he said it was the same person who had accidentally injured Kurt Warner, I knew it was one in the same..."

Bailey turned back to look at Cody, and he just shrugged. Bailey turned back to her dad. "Well, Daddy...we were in Phoenix and Cody did give him the Heimlich Maneuver..."

Joe laughed. "Well, Cody, from the calls in to the show, it looks like Arizona fans don't want your death any longer..." He paused. "Why not tell anyone though? I admit Phoenix doesn't sound like the most ideal place for a spring break..."

Bailey began to hem and haw. "Well, you see..."

Cody spoke up. "We weren't in Phoenix for a typical spring break...We were there to tape the Jeopardy College Team Tournament..."

Joe turned to look at his daughter. "You what?"

Bailey nodded. "Its true, Daddy. We applied for it and found out when we got home after Christmas that we had been accepted for it..."

Joe just sat there stunned. "Wow..."

Bailey smiled at him. "Every since I was a little girl and we used to watch it together, I wanted to be on the show..."

Joe smiled. "Well, I guess you are going to be now. Well, do I have to ask or are you going to tell me how you did?"

Bailey sighed. "I wish we could, Daddy, but we can't. We had to sign confidentiality agreements that we wouldn't disclose the results to anyone..."

"Really? They made you do that?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah. I guess they are very big on keeping what happened a secret..."

Joe nodded. "So, when do you air?"

Bailey shrugged. "They said they would let us know..."

"You just make sure you two tell me once you find out..."

"We will..." Bailey paused. "So, did Porkers behave himself last week?"

Joe laughed. "Yeah, he pretty much lounged around all week. Though, there were several days when he almost seemed offended when we wouldn't let him come inside. I think you two have really domesticated him and made him a house pig..."

Cody and Bailey exchange glances with each other. If only Joe knew just how much of a house pig Porkers was now.

When they finally arrived back in Kettlecorn, they both pitched in and helped Joe take care of the farm chores. Bailey mainly tended to the animals. Cody actually helped out with some of the back breaking labor. Joe could only laugh to himself. The scrawny young man he had first met would never have made it an hour, but the man in front of him now could more than hold his own. If Joe didn't already know what he was planning for the future, he thought he could make a decent farmer out of him.

That night, after dinner, everyone just sat around and talked. Joe had agreed to keep where Cody and Bailey had been a secret as he realized they would just get bombarded with questions about what had happened. So, he helped shift the conversations and allowed them to just talk about what all they had been up to since Christmas. Cody and Bailey told them all about the summer jobs they had gotten in New Haven, and then told them about their plan to spend the summer studying for the GRE and MCAT before taking them next fall. Of course, Cody and Bailey reminded themselves that they needed to register for those exams when they got home.

The rest of the week there was more like work than a vacation as they both spent a good part of each day helping out on the farm. Friday was their last scheduled day in Kettlecorn as they wanted to have all day Sunday to prepare for returning back to classes the following Monday. They only had five weeks of classes left when they returned, and a lot of things were going to happen in that time. For Bailey in particular, she had some thinking to do. The weekend after they got back, she and Cassie had planned a birthday party for Zack and Cody in Hartford. Of course, that meant she had to think of a birthday present for him. She knew Cody would love whatever she got him, but she really wanted to get him something he would like. For part of her gift, she already had a good idea. But she was drawing a blank as to the other part.

On Saturday morning, Joe and Maggie drove Cody, Bailey and Porkers back to Kansas City and dropped them off at the airport. Everyone hugged each other goodbye, and Bailey promised they would try to get back to Kettlecorn over the summer if they could. She turned to her Dad and winked as she told them that she and Cody would keep them informed about anything else that was going on.

A few hours later, Cody, Bailey and Porkers were arriving back at JFK. The gathered their bags and went outside to look for the Yale Shuttle. Finally, it pulled up, and they sat back again and tried to relax as they knew they were finally on their way back home. When they did, Cody and Bailey could finally talk to each other about their experience in Phoenix without fear that anyone could overhear them. They spent the rest of Saturday doing their laundry from their trip and generally just relaxing and taking it easy. Cody was a little sore from all the farm work, but Bailey was more than happy to rub his shoulders for him.

Early Sunday morning, after being gone for two weeks, meant another trip to the grocery store. This time, however, they could take their time and only got what they needed for the next week. Returning home, they proceeded to do their homework for the next day. Once finished with that, Cody and Bailey went on to their laptops, and both registered and signed up respectively for the MCAT and GRE. It was then that they learned of one of the biggest scams they could ever have imagined.

It seems both medical school and veterinary schools have a reporting agency. You have to pay to send your test scores to these agencies. You also have to get your official transcript from your university and sent it to them as well. Every time your transcript changed, you have to send them an updated official transcript. These agencies in turn charged you to forward your test scores and transcripts to the grad schools that you chose. Cody only huffed and called them nothing more than glorified middlemen. Bailey called them something much worse than that.

The next morning, they returned back to class. It was probably good they had spent their spring breaks keeping their minds sharp as several of their fellow classmates looked like they were in actual pain being back in school. Of course, they could have also been from the bad sunburns they had from passing out drunk on the beach. Either way, their Organic Chem test grades were done by then, and both had done very well. Both were happy that they got back eased into classes on one of their short days.

Tuesday was much of the same as it was now their Genetics tests being returned. Again, both did very well. They continued on with the rest of their classes and their first lab in almost two weeks. The rest of the week went by pretty much the same as they stuck to the normal routines.

The only real difference was that on Wednesday afternoon, Bailey told Cody she needed to run a few errands. Cody offered to go with her, but she just smiled and told him that he probably didn't want to go sit while she was getting her birth control shot. Cody just nodded at that. Normally, Bailey would welcome him coming with her as Cody was one of those guys who wasn't embarrassed to go out and buy her feminine hygiene products. But this time, she had to do some birthday shopping after her getting her shot.

Bailey walked around the local mall trying to find anything that would give her inspiration as what to get Cody, but she still wasn't coming up with anything. She was about to give up hope when she finally saw something that gave her a great idea. She couldn't get what she was looking for in the mall, but a few calls later, she knew where to go to get what she hoped Cody would think was the perfect gift.

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: You really didn't think I'd say how they did so soon, did you? Guess everyone will have to see how they did when the episodes actually air. Okay, okay. Their first match airs in Chapter 57. Speaking of future chapters, as of writing this note, I am done through Chapter 70. To make things easier, I'm thinking of breaking The College Years up into two parts. I just haven't come up with a good name for the second part yet. I've thought about The College Years Part Deux...The College Years, the Search for More Money (Spaceballs reference)...The College Years 2****½**** (Naked Gun reference)...The College Years II, the Wrath of Khan (Star Trek reference)...The College Years – The Empire Strikes Back (Star Wars reference). I'm open for other ideas though.**


	50. 38 Candles

_Chapter 50_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

After a quick stop, Bailey found exactly what she was looking for, and had the last of Cody's birthday present finished. She returned home to find Cody sitting on the couch reading a book. He immediately looked up and smiled at her as she walked in. Bailey loved that smile and knew she would do whatever it took to put it on his face.

"How did it go at student health?"

Bailey shrugged. "They were backed up today. Seems there is a bug going around campus..."

Cody nodded. "I hope we don't get it...Those are never fun."

"I know...So, what have done all afternoon?"

Cody closed his book. "Honestly?"

"Yeah."

Cody smiled. "I've been sitting around here missing you."

Bailey sat down next to him. "Awww...I missed you too."

"Well, you're back so we can stop missing each other now..."

"Sounds good to me...What do you want to do tonight?"

Cody shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me..." Cody thought about saying maybe they should rest up for Saturday night in Hartford, but he knew Bailey was trying to make it a surprise. And no matter what, he was going to act surprised. "How about we cook dinner and watch a movie or something?"

Bailey smiled. "What movie did you have in mind?"

"Well...It has been a while since we've watched The Princess Bride..."

"I love that movie!"

"Sound like a plan then?"

"Definitely!"

So, that's how they spent the rest of Wednesday night. Thursday and Friday passes in similar fashions. Those two days, Bailey and Cassie were in constant contact making sure the last minute details were taken care of and that nothing would go wrong.

Saturday morning, Cody woke up and reached over for Bailey, but she wasn't there. He slipped out of bed and crept down the hall until he heard her voice. Cody quickly figured Bailey was talking to Porkers.

"Porkers, want to help me make breakfast in bed for Cody this morning?"

Cody heard a definite oink. He smiled and slipped back into the bedroom and back into bed. He just laid back into his pillow and closed his eyes. To make Bailey happy, he would feign sleep for a little while longer. Finally he heard the bedroom door open again. He ever so slightly opened one eye to watch what was happening. Bailey came into room holding a tray with food on it and set it on the dresser. She came back over and crawled into bed with him. Closing his eyes again, he felt gentle kisses on his cheek and throat. Cody decided it was time to wake up and he opened his eyes.

"Good morning, Beautiful..."

"Good morning, Handsome...Happy Birthday!"

Cody fake stretched. "Thanks, Bails...I must be getting old at the ripe old age of 19..."

Bailey just laughed and got up to get the tray of food.

"What's this? Breakfast in bed?"

"Uh huh...I hope you enjoy it..."

Cody took a bite and the eggs were delicious. He picked up another bite, but this time brought it up to Bailey's mouth. "You eat too..."

Bailey smiled and accepted the bite. "Mmmm...I'm getting better at cooking..."

Cody grinned at her. "You sure are. Keep this up, and you're going to make someone a fine wife someday..."

Bailey grinned back. "I know...I just have to find someone who will make a good husband..."

"Have anyone in mind?"

"Maybe..."

"Well, I'd like to formally apply...I promise I'd be the best husband I can be..."

Bailey leaned down and kissed him. "Okay...The job is yours..."

"Thank you for breakfast in bed, Bails. Its delicious..."

"I just wanted to cook for you for once..."

Cody smiled. "Anytime you want to, Sweetie..."

Bailey smiled back at him. "You ready for a day of birthday surprises?"

Cody tapped his chin in thought and then grinned. "A day of birthday surprises...Now, where have I heard of that before?"

Bailey grinned back at him. "Well, I've heard this story about a guy who loved his girlfriend so much that he set up a whole day of surprises for her with the final one being him proposing..."

"She must be a very special girl for him to do all of that..."

"Well, I know for a fact that she thinks he is very special too and wants to show him how much she loves him..."

"So, what does she have planned for him then?"

Bailey smiled. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see..."

Both finished the breakfast Bailey had made, and Cody coaxed her into joining him for their morning shower. About an hour later, when the hot water was beginning to run out, they finally had to get out. They both took their time in dressing for the day, and Bailey asked him if he was ready for his surprise. Cody could only smile as he nodded. Bailey just grabbed his hand and lead him out to the SUV and made him get in the passenger side. She climbed in the driver's side and turned to Cody.

"One last thing...Put this on."

Cody smiled at her. "A blindfold?"

"Yes. I don't want you to see where we are going until we get there."

Cody shrugged and put it on. Of course, Bailey made sure he couldn't see out of it. She began driving, and Cody was content to sit back and enjoy the ride. He never once asked where they were going but merely engaged her in regular conversation. After about an hour in the car, Bailey finally pulled the SUV to a stop. She looked around and saw Max and Tapeworm in one car. Scanning further, she saw Cassie pull into the parking lot with an equally blindfolded Zack followed by Woody and Addison in another car. Bailey got out of the SUV and helped Cody get out while Cassie was doing the same for Zack. They were standing in the parking lot surrounded by all of their friend when Bailey and Cassie pulled off the blindfolds. Immediately, everyone began singing Happy Birthday to them.

Both Zack and Cody looked around, and to their credit, both acted like they were surprised. All of their friends congratulated them on turning 19 and lead them back into the same place they usually met to hang up. This time, however, there was a backroom set aside for them that was already decorated. Everyone sat around and caught up with each other. Of course, one of the first questions was Zack asking his brother what he was doing in Phoenix. Cody and Bailey just shrugged and said they were there on their way to Lake Havasu. Zack wasn't buying that for a minute.

Eventually, everyone broke away to play some games and have some fun. It seems that one of the perks for the birthday boys was that they could play all they wanted on the house. Several hours later, everyone was back in the backroom having dinner. And once it was over, a cake with thirty-eight candles was brought out – nineteen for the each of them. After the cake was sliced and served, Bailey spoke up.

"Alright, I think it's time for gifts..."

Cassie turned to her cousin. "You're right..." She turned to Zack. "I know we're still saving, but I did get you a little something..."

Cody turned to his brother. "What are you two saving for?"

"We're saving so we can move into an apartment next year. We signed a lease last week, and we move in next August..." Zack smirked. "We'll expect you two to actually show up on time to help then..."

Cody laughed. "Alright..."

Cassie handed Zack an envelope and he opened it. Once he saw what it was, he smiled and turned to Cassie. "You've already pre-ordered me the new Madden when it comes out this summer...Thanks, Babe."

Cassie smiled. "This way, it won't interrupt with your studying for finals..."

"Hey! My grades are actually pretty good!"

"I know. I'm trying to keep them that way..."

Cody turned to his brother. "Bailey and I have a small gift for you as well..."

Zack unwrapped the gift and just stared at what was inside the box. He then turned to his brother. "You didn't..."

Cody and Bailey were both laughing by then. Cassie turned to Zack. "What is it?"

Zack showed her and Cassie blushed.

Cody smiled. "You thought we could use it, so we are just returning the favor..."

Zack grimaced. "Thanks...Bro...I guess we have our very own copy of the Kama Sutra now..."

With that revelation, everyone else at the table broke out in laughter too.

Bailey turned to Cody. "Your turn, Codykins..." She slid a big box in front of him.

Cody opened it and looked inside. "Thank you so much, Bails!"

"What is it, Broseph?"

"Its several MCAT prep guides along with several CD roms with practice questions and practice tests..." He leaned over and kissed Bailey. "I really appreciate this..."

Bailey smiled. "That's not all of it..." She handed Cody an envelope.

He opened it up and began to chuckle. "Thank you again, Sweetie..."

Zack looks at his brother. "What is it?"

Cody smiled. "Bailey signed us up for golf lessons..."

"Golf?"

Tapeworm laughs. "Let me know once you guys get decent and will hit the links..."

Zack is still confused. "When did you become a golfer?"

Cody laughed. "I'm not yet. But Tapeworm pointed out that as a doctor or a lawyer, I'm going to have to learn the game..."

Zack just nodded as Cody turned back to Bailey. "Thank you so much for a great birthday, Bails..."

Bailey just smiled at him. "You're welcome..."

The night carried on, and soon it was time for everyone to head back home. Back in New Haven, Cody again thanked Bailey for everything. She simply smiled and said the night wasn't over yet. She told Cody to go ahead and get in bed, and she would meet him there in a bit. Cody wasn't sure what she had planned, but he was positive he was going to love it. So, he slipped into bed in only his boxers.

Finally, Bailey walked into the door wearing another babydoll lingerie. This time, it was red and sheer, and it completely blew Cody's mind. She sauntered into the bedroom and closed the door behind her.

"What do you think?"

Cody just kept staring trying to get his tongue untwisted. Finally he spoke. "I think I must be the luckiest man in the world. I would tell you how beautiful and sexy you look, but I don't think I could find the words to fully express just how beautiful and sexy you look..."

Bailey smiled. "I think you just did..."

Cody smiled back at her. "Now, get over here...Let me worship you..."

"As long as I get to do the same..."

Bailey crawled into bed with Cody, and he immediately pulled her into a passionate kiss.

_To be Continued..._


	51. Queen for a Day

_Chapter 51_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The entire next day, nothing could wipe a smile off of either Cody or Bailey's faces. Not even having to do their homework for the next day could dampen their spirits. Of course, Cody began thinking how he was going to make Bailey's birthday special. He knew there was nothing he could top what he did the year before, but he was beginning to get an idea. And for what he had planned, the was going to need Jo's help.

Bailey's birthday was going to coincide with their last day of classes before reading week was to begin. And to Cody, that was going to be just perfect. With what he had planned, Cody was going to busy getting everything ready the next four weeks.

And the next for weeks went by without any fanfair. They went to class, they did their reading and homework, and continued to spend time together. As they entered their final week of actual classes, they completed both of their labs. Bailey knew her birthday was on that Friday, but she was assuming Cody had something planned for Saturday. So, when she was woken up with breakfast in bed on Friday morning, she was a little surprised.

"Happy Birthday, Bails..."

Bailey sat up in bed and smiled at Cody. "Thank you, Codykins..."

Cody walked next to her side of the bed and sat the tray over her lap. Bailey looked down and found scrambled eggs and heart shaped chocolate chip pancakes. "Cody...This looks wonderful..."

Cody smiled at her. "Eat up then..."

Bailey just shook her head. "Nope. You shared with me, so I'm sharing with you. So, sit that cute butt down next me and help me eat all of this..."

Cody sat down next to her and began to cut up some of the pancakes and feed them to her. She took the fork away from him and did the same to him.

"You know, Cody...I thought you would do something tomorrow since it would be Saturday..."

Cody smiled at her again. "But tomorrow isn't your birthday, today is...Well, maybe I do have something planned tomorrow, but today is the day I'm going to spoil you rotten..."

Bailey smiled. "Is that a fact?"

"Yes, ma'am...We just might have one Organic Chemistry class thrown in for fun..."

"So, what's next?"

"Want your first gift?"

Bailey nods. "Uh huh..."

Cody slips out of the room and brings back a big box. "I admit, you gave me the idea for this one..."

Bailey opened the box, looked inside and smiled. "GRE prep guides and CD roms..." She looks up at Cody. "Thank you, Sweetie..."

Cody sighs. "I promise you...The rest will be more romantic..."

"Its okay. Knowing that you love me enough to support me in my academic pursuits means a lot to me..."

"And I always will...Now, we need to get up and moving. I told your parents you would be saying hello to them before we head to class..."

Bailey smiled. "Okay...But don't you dare take a shower without me. I rather enjoy our birthday tradition of showering together..."

Cody grinned. "I hope we don't have to have a birthday to do that..."

Bailey finally got up and immediately got on her laptop and webcam and proceeded to have a morning chat with her parents. While she was doing that, Cody was setting up more details for later in the kitchen. Fortunately, he returned back to the home office just as Bailey was finishing her chat with her parents. Both proceeded to hit the shower together, and again, took their time in getting clean. Bailey could only stand their in pure bliss as Cody used her loofa to lather her all over and used the handheld shower head to rinse her off. As good as she thought that felt, it was nothing compared to feeling him gently lather her hair with shampoo and rinse it. Bailey was a little confused when Cody told her to stay right there, that he would be right back. However, he shortly returned carrying a small glass bottle. When he told her it was pig's milk to condition her hair, she felt a shiver all through her body. He proceeded to condition her hair and rinse it again. Before Cody could do anything else, Bailey turned, pulled him close to her and gave him the most passionate kiss she could.

Unfortunately, they did have that one pesky class to go to, and being the studious pair they were, they reluctantly went. Since it was the last class of the semester, the professor didn't really talk about anything new and mostly just answered any questions anyone had about the final. Even though they didn't want to be there, this didn't stop them from asking questions they had.

Coming back home, Cody said he would get the mail while Bailey went on inside. When she walked into the front door, she immediately noticed a large bouquet of roses sitting on the coffee table. She walked over to smell them, and she was smiling as Cody walked back in. She walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek and thanked him for the beautiful flowers.

"You ready for your next surprise?"

Bailey smiled again as she nodded. Cody took her hand and lead her out to the SUV. He opened the passenger door and helped her get in. It was then he produced the same blindfold she had for him, and helped her put it on. Bailey sat there in anticipation. She heard Cody open the rear door of the SUV and heard Cody putting something in the back. Soon, he was opening the driver's side door and got in himself. Bailey tried to figure out where Cody was taking her but was drawing a blank. Fifteen minutes later, she felt the SUV come to a stop, and Cody told her he would be right back. She heard him open the rear door again, and she could tell he was gone for about ten minutes. The next thing she knew, her door was being opened and Cody was helping her out. Bailey could feel a slight breeze, but she still had no idea where Cody had taken her. She wasn't sure, but she thought she could almost smell the ocean. Finally, Cody removed the blindfold. Bailey could see they were indeed at the beach, and in front of her, there was a large blanket spread out with a picnic basket on top of it.

"Cody? A picnic at the beach?"

"Uh huh...I know this is one of your favorite places."

Bailey smiled. "It is..."

"Let's see what kind of goodies we have in here..." Cody opened the picnic basket and pulled out container after container of Bailey's favorites. He then fixed a plate for both of them and something to drink. They both sat back on the blanket enjoying the lunch Cody had fixed for them. When they were done, Cody asked if she wanted to go for a walk on the beach. Bailey nodded her head in enthusiasm. They put the basket and blanket pack in the SUV and left their shoes in the vehicle too. Soon, they were walking along the beach barefoot and hand in hand.

Bailey was smiling wistfully. "I will always love this place. It has so many good memories..."

Cody smiled. "Can you believe its almost been two years?"

"I know...I will never forget that day." Bailey paused. "Cody?"

"Yeah?"

"Do I still excite you as much as I did then? Everything was brand new then..."

Cody stopped them and turned to face Bailey. "Do you really need to ask that question?"

"Humor me?"

"Bails, I hope you know that I do. I hope you know from the night of my birthday how much I desire you. I vow to you. I always will. And as for it being brand new then, I contend that now we both know what the other likes and what drives each other wild. I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world..."

Bailey smiled. "I know. I guess its just nice to hear it."

"Bails, to me you are the definition of beautiful and sexy. My pulse still races around you. My knees still go weak every time you kiss me. You are perfect just the way you are, and I wouldn't change a single hair on your head..."

"I wouldn't change a thing about you either..." She grins. "I'm glad we'll continue to celebrate that day as our other anniversary..."

"Me too."

"I guess we will have to add a third day for our wedding anniversary though, won't we?"

Cody paused to think. "Maybe not..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, our anniversary of first making love is in late June, right?"

"Right..."

"And we are planning on getting married over the summer...And late June would be summer..."

Bailey realized what Cody was alluding to. "You mean setting our wedding date as the same day that we first made love?"

"Yeah...What do you think?"

Bailey was beaming. "I think its perfect!"

Cody smiled. "So, does that mean we have a date set?"

"It sure does!" Bailey leaned up and kissed Cody. "We can officially begin counting down to it..."

For the rest of the afternoon, Cody and Bailey continued walking along the beach hand in hand just talking and laughing. Finally, it began to get a little cool along the coast, and they headed back to the SUV. Cody drove them back home as Bailey sat there sighing in satisfaction. They returned home, and both just lounged around for a while. Finally, Cody asked if Bailey was ready for her next surprise. She nodded, and Cody said he would be right back.

About ten minutes later, he returned to the living room. He took her hand and lead her back to the bathroom. Bailey was surprised to see the lights were out, but there were several candles lit. And the bathtub was filling up with a bubble bath.

"Cody..."

"You lay back and relax while I fix you a special birthday dinner..." And with that, Cody turned on his ipod and relaxing music filled the bathroom. Bailey undressed and slipped into the tub and let the hot water relax her. She had a washcloth over her eyes, and with the soothing music, she began to slowly drift off. The next thing she knew, she felt hands slowly rubbing her shoulders, and she sighed again in contentment.

She removed the washcloth and looked up at Cody. "You weren't kidding when you said you were going to spoil me..."

"I'm trying my best..."

"You are succeeding...Is dinner ready?"

"Just a little while longer..."

Bailey nodded. "I think the water is starting to cool down some."

Cody grabbed a towel and helped dry off Bailey as she stood up. Cody told her to wait right there, and he'd be right back. He returned a few minutes later and lifted Bailey up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom. There was a towel spread across the bed, and he gently laid her down on top of it. He told her to roll over. She did, and the next thing she knew, she could feel his hands slowly massaging her back with oil. Slowly, he moved down her body, still massaging her. He rubbed her thighs, her calves and then a sensual foot rub. He would have continued, but the timer on the stove went off. He apologized as he quickly hurried into the kitchen. As he was getting everything ready, Bailey put on her robe and joined him in the kitchen. Cody was preparing two plates for them as she walked in. After he placed them on the table, she immediately wrapped her arms around him.

"I don't know if I deserve you, but I'm never going to give you up..."

Cody smiled as he rubbed her back. "I was thinking the exact same thing..."

Bailey pulled back. "Am I dressed for dinner?"

"You can wear whatever you want..."

Bailey smiled. "Well, how about we both dine in our robes?"

"As you wish..." Cody quickly slipped into their bedroom and came back out a few minutes later in his robe. "You hungry?"

"Starving..."

Cody and Bailey sat down and enjoyed the meal Cody had prepared. It was the exact same meal he had made for her the year before. Before dinner was over, Bailey was sitting in Cody's lap again as they once again fed each other. The only time he got up was to bring over the birthday cake he had made her. Well, its debatable how much cake they actually ate versus what ended up on each other. But both were laughing and having a good time.

"So, if this was all for today, what's tomorrow?"

"Well, tomorrow, Zack, Cassie, Addison and Woody are coming down, and we are meeting them and Max and Tapeworm for dinner..."

Bailey smiled. "As much fun as that sounds, I think I like today better..."

Cody smiled. "I have one more surprise for you..."

"There's more? Cody...You've done enough already..."

Cody pulls a velvet box out of his robe pocket. "Well, if you want, I can take this back..."

"If you already have it..." Bailey grins.

Cody hands her the box, and she opens it. Inside are a beautiful pair of silver diamond heart earrings. "Cody...They're beautiful..."

Cody smiled. "Something beautiful for someone beautiful..."

Bailey looks into his eyes. "Thank you so much for today...Thank you for making me feel like the most important person in the world..."

"Bails...To me, you are."

"I love you, Cody."

"I love you too...Do you realize that one year ago, I was down on my knee about this time?"

"I know. And you proceeded to ask me the easiest question anyone has ever asked me..."

_To be Continued..._


	52. Finishing the First Year

_Chapter 52_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The rest of the evening was Cody and Bailey spending even more time alone together. Which of course means they again spent the evening making love. In fact, they enjoyed themselves so much that both slept in until almost ten the next morning. Once they did wake up, they just spent a lazy morning and early afternoon around the house, and neither got out of their robes until they finally took a shower later that afternoon. And the only reason they did then was because they knew they had to go out and meet their friends for another birthday dinner.

They drove back down towards the shore to a seafood restaurant right on the water that Jo had recommended to them. The food was excellent, and they just all sat around having a good time. At one point, Cassie pulled Bailey aside and asked what Cody had done to celebrate everything. Bailey was more than willing to tell Cassie everything that had happened the day before. Cassie smiled and said it looked like Bailey had had a good birthday. Bailey could only beam that she had.

After dinner, Bailey was surprised when a birthday cake was brought out to her. As the candles glowed in front of her, she remembered the wishes she had made on her two previous birthdays. Two years ago, she wished her friends could be as happy as she was and have someone who loved them as much as Cody did her. Well, that one had come true. Last year, she had wished that Cody would propose. That one had come true as well. This year, she wished that she and Cody would both get accepted to the same grad school. And with that, she blew out her candles.

Soon, it was getting late, and Zack, Cassie, Addison and Woody had to be getting back to Storrs. And Bailey knew that she, Cody, Max and Tapeworm were about to enter reading week and needed to start preparing for finals. So, everyone called it a night and wished Bailey a happy birthday one more time.

Of course, like last year, the Monday of reading week meant Cody and Bailey had another meeting with Bill to plan their schedules for the next fall. So, it was early Monday morning that they found themselves knocking on Bill's office door once again.

"Come on in..."

Cody and Bailey took the seats in front of his desk. "Its that time once again..."

Bill nodded. "I know. I did some research for you both this morning, and I have some good news for you both..."

"Yeah, what's that?"

"Well, on the Economics side, you've completed all your degree prerequisites outside of your senior seminar you take your last year. So, from here on out, all you have left is electives..."

Bailey smiled. "Sounds good to us. Do we have to ask what you are teaching next year?"

Bill laughed. "Well, I'm teaching Intermediate Macro again next semester..."

"Oh..."

"But I am also teaching a course in Game Theory..."

Cody nodded. "Sign us up then."

Bill nodded. "Alright...Again, its early. I liked teaching 9:00-10:15 on Mondays and Wednesday."

"Works for us. We actually liked it too...What other class would you recommend?"

Bill paused. "Well, we are having a special visiting professor next semester. He was a former Commerce Secretary in the Obama Administration and a Yale alum. He's teaching a course in American Economic History. Admission to the class has been reserved for our top students, but if you two don't qualify as that, I don't know who does..."

Bailey smiled. "If you could get us in, we'd be honored..."

"Its Tuesday/Thursday from 9:00-10:15..." Bill types away on his keyboard. "Alright, you're both in. Well, after next semester, you will have eight of the twelve courses you need for an Economics degree. That means you need four more your last three semesters including your senior seminar. Beyond that, you just need to get your 120 total credit hours."

Bill changed menus on his computer. "Alright, Biology wise, you both still have to get Biochemistry out of the way for Med and Vet school. Do you want to knock it out next fall?"

Cody and Bailey both nod.

"And the Biology department requires two different labs be taken. Your Genetics lab this semester will take care of one, and a Biochemistry lab will knock out the other one..."

"Lets do it then..."

"Alright, there is a Biochemistry class on Mondays/Wednesday/Fridays at 11:00. How's that?"

Bailey nods. "Fine."

"And there is a lab on Tuesday from 1:00-3:00. Does that work too?"

Cody nods. "Yeah..."

"Okay, that's four classes down. Biology also has two more major requirements that you need to take before you get to electives. If you think you can handle 17 hours, you can go ahead and knock those both out next semester..."

Cody and Bailey look at each other. "Yeah, we can handle it working together..."

"Alright, the first is a class in General Ecology. There is one on Tuesdays/Thursdays from 11:00-12:15. How's that?"

"Looks like we only have one more to schedule..."

"The final prerequisite is Evolutionary Biology. Let me see what times it is being offered. How does Mondays/Wednesdays 2:00-3:15 sound?"

"Perfect..."

"Alright, we're done..." Bill prints out their schedules for them and hands them to Cody and Bailey. "You guys are getting good at having easy Fridays. Well, after next semester, you will be doing electives in Biology as well. Bailey, you can start choosing classes more helpful for vet school, and Cody, you can start choosing classes more helpful for med school."

Cody smiled. "I'm going to miss having all my classes with Bailey. I couldn't ask for a better study partner."

Bailey smiled. "Me either..."

Bill smiled at them. "Well, after next semester, you both will have close to 80 credit hours. That means you will only need approximate 40 more to graduate. If you take sixteen again next semester, you can have relatively smaller class loads your last two semesters. I would recommend taking your senior seminar in Economics one semester of your last year and your senior seminar in Biology the other semester. Both of those will require a lot of work and would be better for both your sakes not to do them at the same time."

Cody and Bailey nod. "We appreciate the recommendation. We'll keep that in mind."

"Good. Now, knowing you two, you're heading back home to study, aren't you?"

Cody and Bailey laughed. "You know us..."

Bill sighed. "I hope you two don't waste too much time on my classes again. I think I could give you two the tests right now, and you would both nail them..."

Cody and Bailey returned home and went right back to studying. Finals were scheduled to begin the following Saturday morning. They would follow a similar schedule as the last semester. This semester, they had Genetics on Saturday afternoon, ISP on Monday morning, Econometrics on Tuesday afternoon, and Organic Chemistry on Thursday evening. And again, neither had to do all that well on any of their tests to keep their A's. Of course, that should be expected as they both diligently kept up with their homework and reading throughout the semester.

The duo again dedicated one day to studying for each of their classes, and both entered their first final feeling confident. By Thursday night of finals week, both were exhausted but felt really good about how they did. They spent Thursday evening curled up on the couch, relaxing and enjoying the fact that their first year was over. But they couldn't rest too much. They had both agreed to help Zack, Cassie, Woody and Addison pack up tomorrow and help take Woody and Addison to the airport before they followed Zack and Cassie back to Boston. Cody and Bailey were taking a week off before they started working to hang out in Boston themselves. So, as they laid there resting, the washer and dryer were running.

The next morning, they packed up themselves and Porkers for a week, and headed out for Storrs. They got there in a couple of hours, and immediately, they were put to work. Porkers had to be snuck in as neither Cody or Bailey were going to leave him in the car. After another hour or so, everyone was packed up, so Cody and Zack went to get the SUVs and pull them up to the loading areas with the hazard lights on. With six people, the loading didn't take that long. After all, Addison was 83 pounds of pure power and Bailey was noticeably stronger from the weight lifting she had done with Cody. Soon, Zack and Cassie's SUV was full of their stuff while Cody and Bailey's SUV was full of Woody and Addison's. Once everything was loaded, everyone piled in and began their drive over to the Hartford airport.

The dropped Woody and Addison off and helped them get all of their bags checked in. After that, Woody and Addison hugged everybody goodbye and said they would be back in August to move in to the new pad. And with that, they were off through security.

The other four turned to head back, but decided to swap SUVs again for the ride back to Boston. And with that, Zack with Cody in the lead with Bailey with Cassie and Porkers in tow following beginning their first summer vacation from college.

_To be Continued..._


	53. East Bound and Down

_Chapter 53_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Bailey and Cassie were in the trailing car. Bailey was doing her best to keep up with Zack, but she wasn't going to willingly exceed more than five miles over the speed limit. Even if she fell to far behind, she did already know how to get to the Tipton. Plus, she was in the vehicle with the GPS, so she wasn't worried. So, she and Cassie took it easy.

"So, you're going to be working in an animal hospital this summer, huh?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah, it should be a lot of fun. What about you, what are you doing?"

Cassie shrugged. "Another summer working for Esteban..."

"Thinking about pursuing something in Tourism and Hospitality Management?"

"Actually, no...What I'm thinking of sounds kind of silly though..."

"I'm sure its not. What are you thinking of?"

Cassie sighed. "Well, I grew up around music and I still love it. Aunt Sarah taught me to play the guitar and the piano. But while I love it, I don't want to constantly be on the road. So...I was thinking of majoring in music education. Become a teacher and give back..."

Bailey smiled. "That doesn't sound silly at all. Let me ask you the same question Cody asked me. Could you picture yourself doing that and being happy doing that?"

Cassie paused. "I think I would..."

"Then go for it. If it will make you happy, you should do it..."

Cassie nodded. "I'll think about it...But, its summer now, and the last thing I want to think about right now is school."

Bailey laughs. "Alright. So, tell me about this apartment you two have signed a lease on."

"Well, its two bedroom and two baths. So, we'll each have our own bathrooms. When you walk in, you enter the living room, and the kitchen is off of it and the laundry room is off of it. To the left and the right of the living room are two hallways, and that's where the bedrooms and bathrooms are. And to boot, its already furnished, so we don't have to get much for it."

"Sounds nice..."

"Yeah...Are you two still liking your place?"

"Yeah, we are. We love it. And Porkers loves it too, don't you?"

From behind them, they heard an oink.

Cassie just laughed. "You two spoil him rotten..."

Bailey laughed too. "Oh, you haven't heard the funniest part. Cody has toilet trained him..."

"Please tell me you're joking!"

Bailey shakes her head. "I'm completely serious. At first, I thought he was crazy, but I have to admit it was really nice this winter not having to take him out in the snow..."

Cassie nodded. "I can see that..."

"So, you two planning on taking it easy this summer?"

"I think so. That's the plan anyways. What about you two?"

"Well, besides working, we're both going to be studying for the GRE and MCAT respectively. We've already signed up to take them the Wednesday before Thanksgiving in Boston. Beyond that, we're talking golf lessons on Sunday mornings."

"Don't you need clubs?"

"Eventually. They golf pro said they would fit us with clubs when we were ready. Until then, rental clubs are included..."

Cassie nodded. "Maybe I should look into a hobby this summer..."

"You still running?"

"Yeah...three days a week. I guess I can keep doing that...I guess you two will also be doing more wedding planning..."

Bailey nods. "Speaking of which...We've set a date..."

Cassie smiled. "Really? What is it?"

"June 26, 2014...The fourth anniversary of when we first made love..."

"Awww...That sounds so romantic!"

"I know..." Bailey paused. "Actually, there is something wedding related that I need to ask you about..."

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering if you would be willing to be my maid of honor?"

Cassie turned to Bailey. "Really?"

Bailey smiled. "I would be honored if you would..."

Cassie smiled. "The honor would be all mine...And you have a maid of honor!"

Meanwhile, in the SUV ahead of them.

"Dude, I think you should slow down some so they can keep up with us..."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Its the interstate. You're supposed to drive a little fast!"

"Not Bailey...She always drives the speed limit..."

"Do you two ever life life on the edge?"

Cody sighs. "Do you not remember Theo...or Josh...or Barbara and Agnes...or Tokyo?"

"Well, yeah..."

"So do we. That's why we actually enjoy life away from the edge..."

Zack shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I can understand that...But, I am going to make sure you have fun on your bachelor party..."

"Alright...within reason of course."

Zack grinned. "Of course..."

"Zack, Bailey and I really haven't discussed our bachelor or bachelorette parties yet, but the one thing we have discussed is no strip clubs..."

Zack paused to think. "Alright, fine..."

"Which means no strippers of any kind even if they come to the hotel..."

"Awww...Man"

Cody laughed. "You forget. We both know how devious your mind can be..."

Zack sighs. "Is there a date yet?"

"June 26, 2014..."

"Why did you choose that?"

"It was the date we first went to New Haven to check out the campus and look for an apartment..."

Zack grinned. "And the date you two first..."

Cody interrupted him. "Yes, that too..."

"Well, I guess I can begin working on planning the bachelor party then..."

"Just remember, when its over, I do still want to get married..."

"I know. You know what they say...What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas..."

"Zack..."

Zack laughed. "I'm kidding..." He pauses. "Though, I do think we need to get you a book on how to count cards..."

Cody rolled his eyes. "That's illegal..."

Zack grinned. "Cody, I plan on making you my very own personal Rainman..."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Bro, think about it! We could make some money!"

"Zack, there are more important things in life than money..."

"Money you could use to spend on Bailey..."

Cody paused. "Well..."

"Just think about it..."

Cody sighed. "Why am I even considering doing this?"

Zack grinned. "Because you're thinking about it the same way I am. One last big adventure for Zack and Cody before you get saddled with the old ball and chain..."

_To be Continued..._


	54. The Wedding Planner

_Chapter 54_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

They finally returned to Boston, and Cody and Bailey helped Zack and Cassie get moved into their suite. Zack and Cassie lucked out in that they got a two bedroom suite with Cody and Bailey staying there for the week. However, they also knew that the other bedroom was Cody and Bailey's whenever they came up to visit. Once everyone was settled in, they went and saw Carey. She was very happy to see them all again, and immediately asked them about finals and what all was new. They all filled her in about all school related matters.

Later, over dinner, Cody and Bailey did fill in Carey on the date of the wedding they had chosen, but they didn't tell her what the significance of the day was. They did tell her they were planning on meeting with London soon and hoped they might run into her that week. Further, they let her know that next Thanksgiving break, they would be back in Boston but she probably wouldn't see much of them until Wednesday afternoon due to their exams.

The rest of that weekend included everyone hanging out by the Tipton pool. It was unseasonably warm for early May, but no one was complaining. And on Sunday afternoon, Cody and Bailey finally got a hold of London. She said she was meeting her father in Boston on Friday afternoon, but she would be there Thursday night. She suggested they have dinner in the Tipton hotel restaurant that night.

The rest of the week was mainly a time for Cody and Bailey to hang out and relax. They would go out with Zack and Cassie and go to dinner or see a movie or go to a teen dance club. The week was a real good opportunity for everyone to recharge their batteries.

Thursday night, Bailey and Cody showed up at the restaurant and waited for the Maitre d' to seat them. Cody had to smile when he saw a familiar face walk up to the podium.

"Name?"

"We're meeting London Tipton tonight..."

Patrick looks up. "Oh really..." He pauses. "Wait a minute...Don't I know you?"

"I'm Cody Martin. I used to live in the hotel..."

"Ohhh...You're one of those twins..."

"Yes, I am. Patrick, this is my fiancee, Bailey Pickett..."

Patrick smirks. "Charmed, I'm sure...Anyway, Miss Tipton has yet to arrive, but I will go ahead an take you to the reserved table..." And with that, Patrick lead them to a private table.

Cody and Bailey sat there and waited for quite a while. Numerous times, they checked their watches to make sure they had the right time. Of course, both realized it was London they were waiting on and proceeded to eat more and more complimentary bread sticks. Finally, London did show up, but she wasn't alone. With her, was a red headed woman in her early thirties.

"Bailey, Cody...This is Maria Woods...The wedding coordinator I've hired to...coordinate..."

Cody and Bailey shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. I say we cut right to the chase. When is this wedding?"

"June 26, 2014..."

Maria nodded. "Good. We have two years to get this together. Plenty of time. Alright, I understand its going to be held on a cruise ship, is that right?"

"Yeah...The S.S. Tipton..."

Maria sat there thinking. "Alright, that gives us a lot of possibilities..."

Bailey spoke up. "We don't want anything lavish though. We want our wedding to reflect who we are..."

Maria smiled. "And that's exactly what it will do. I'm here to help you get everything organized and make sure it goes off without a hitch. Now, I understand Miss Tipton here is going to be designing the wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses..."

London spoke up. "Yes, I am!"

Bailey interrupted her. "Remember, we agreed I got final say on those. I'm thinking simple yet elegant..."

Maria nodded. "Alright...Here's what we are going to do. Miss Tipton, by the end of this year, I want you to provide Bailey sketches or samples of your ideas..."

London nodded. "I can do that..."

Bailey turned to London. "And when your designing them, remember you will be wearing one..."

London stared back at Bailey. "Really?"

Bailey smiled. "I would be honored if you were one of my bridesmaids..."

London smiled back. "I accept. And I will have some ideas for you by the end of the year. Who are the other bridesmaids?"

"All together, there will be four, but I still need to ask two of them..."

Maria turned to Cody. "Okay, that means you need a best man and three groomsmen..."

Cody nodded. "Best man is already taken care of, and I have a pretty good idea who the other three will be..."

Maria turns back to Bailey. "Alright, for London to design, we know the wedding dress will be white. But we need you to select what color or colors you want the bridesmaid dresses to be. I warn you, these colors will be used throughout including flowers, the groomsmen tuxes, and the decorations for the reception..."

Bailey paused. "When do I need to decide that?"

"Preferably, by the end of the summer. Once that's done, we will meet again and begin to worry about flowers, cake, the reception, and so on..."

Bailey nodded. "Alright..."

"Further, invitations won't be going out for well over another year, but since this is going to be on a cruise ship, we will need your guest lists by next spring so we have time to reserve cabins and arrange transportation..."

Cody and Bailey nodded.

Maria smiled. "Remember to breath and relax. We still have plenty of time. You're giving me two years. I've produced miracles in two months..."

Bailey smiled. "Thank you..."

"Okay, before we call a close to this meeting and eat, everyone has their assignments. Bailey, you need to get your other two bridesmaids on board and choose the color schemes you want. Cody, you need to get your other three groomsmen on board. Then, both of you need your guest lists by next spring. Lets go ahead and schedule an appointment in New York City to know when to have it done by...How does April 6 sound?"

Cody and Bailey nod. "Sounds good..."

"Good...Let's eat."

The four of them had dinner, and afterwards, Cody and Bailey returned back to their suite. They had to get their stuff together to head back to New Haven the next afternoon. They wanted a full weekend at home before they both started work the following Monday.

Friday morning, they had breakfast with Zack, Cassie and Carey in Carey's suite. Cody and Bailey planned to visit Boston often, but they didn't know when they would be back. Plus, they offered a place for Cassie and Zack to crash if they wanted to get away from Boston for a weekend. Before they left, Carey suggested they all check to see if their grades were out yet. Again, Cody and Bailey went first and of course, it was all A's again. Zack and Cassie followed them, and both had done very well again. After a year of college, both were carrying a 3.5 GPA.

Cody and Bailey finally left and were walking in the lobby to head to the elevator down to the parking garage when they were approached by several men in dark suits and sunglasses. The men parted and Wilfred Tipton stepped out again.

"Mr. Martin, Miss Pickett...So good to see you both again..."

"You too, Mr. Tipton. We know London is around here somewhere..."

Wilfred nods. "Yeah, I'm supposed to be heading up to her penthouse in a bit. I understand you both are looking at bright futures. Vet school and med school or law school..."

"Yes sir. I've told Bailey I will follow her wherever she gets in to vet school..."

"Where are you going to apply?"

"Well, so far our three favorites are Penn, Cornell and Tufts..."

"All three very schools...Actually, I'm on the board of trustees at Tufts. I know any of the three would be lucky to have you..."

Bailey smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Tipton..."

"Well, I wish you both the best of luck. Take care..."

With that, Mr. Tipton and his entourage head towards the elevator as Cody and Bailey head towards the one down to the garage. Inside the elevator, Wilfred Tipton pulled out his cellphone.

"Schedule me a meeting with the deans of the Tufts' Vet School and Med School early next week..."

_To be Continued..._


	55. Summer in New Haven

_Chapter 55_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Monday was the first day of work for both Cody and Bailey. Fortunately, their respective places of employment weren't that far away from each other. So, they decided they would ride into work together and alternate who would drive. They also decided they would pack their lunches everyday, and the one who had the SUV that day would pick up the other and they would eat lunch in a park in between their offices.

The first day at both of their jobs, they were both issued their scrubs for the summer. Cody's scrubs were the typical blue or green ones while Bailey's were in warmer colors like peach, pink and lavender. Of course this worked out just fine with them as they could wash them together every weekend.

Of course, the first day Bailey wore the lavender ones, Cody took notice.

"Wow..."

Bailey smiled. "What?"

"I'm just reminded of the dress you wore for the first Miss Tipton Pageant. You looked amazing in it. The color really brings out your eyes..."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah..."

Bailey paused. "I have always liked this color..."

"Maybe its a color you want to consider for your bridesmaid dresses?"

"Maybe..."

"Who are your other bridesmaids by the way?"

"I was thinking of asking Addison and Max..."

"Really? I thought you might ask one of your sisters..."

"I thought about it, but if I asked one, the other eight might take it as a slight. And I can't have all of them..."

"You can if you want to..."

Bailey laughed. "Cody, then there would be more people in the wedding party than in the seats..."

Cody laughed. "True..."

"What about you, who are you going to ask to be your other groomsmen?"

"I was thinking of asking Woody, Marcus and Tapeworm..."

Bailey grinned. "Awww...We could pair them easy then. Zack with Cassie, Woody with Addison, Tapeworm with Max...and I guess Marcus with London then..."

Cody laughed again. "Two years ago, you would have made Marcus an extremely happy guy with that..."

Bailey laughed. "What about our guest lists?"

"I've sent emails to Mom, Dad and Grandma to make a list of family members for us..."

Bailey nodded. "I did the same with my parents..."

"Beyond that, there are people I've written down like Maddie, Bob, Esteban, Francesca, Mother Ramirez, Chef Paulo, Muriel, Nia, Millicent, Norman, Mr. Tipton, Jo, Bill, George Daniels, Dr. Miller, and if my job goes well, Dr. Cole..."

"I've done the same. People like Khun Yai, Connie, Kirby, Murray, Rachel Baker, Dr. Douglas, and if my job goes well too, Dr. Ryan..."

Cody smiled. "Sounds like we are ahead of the game with the invite list..."

"Yeah, I think we are. And I want to stay ahead of the game."

Most of there early summer involved them going to work, and studying for their respective tests a few nights a week. Both were loving their summer jobs and were learning a lot. Bailey started off with more minor tasks such as bathing and grooming, but soon was doing more extensive activities. She had moved up to where she was drawing blood and giving injections. And she shadowed Dr. Ryan as much as she could. Along the way, she was picking up several tools of the trade. The animals all were very warm to her, and she was able to soothe even the most ill tempered or scared animals.

Cody, on the other hand, didn't have to deal with any actual patients...well, live ones at least. Initially, he was a little uneasy around corpses, but by making himself stay detached, he adjusted. After several weeks, he got to the point where it didn't bother him much anymore. And while he did find that aspect of the job interesting, it was the part where he got to help work on cures for other diseases that he found truly fascinating. Especially where they were testing treatments for heart disease. With Grandpa Charlie dying from a heart attack and his Grandma Ellie having one that could have killed her, he was especially interested in working on it.

And at home, they would usually spend Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday nights studying for the GRE and MCAT. Even though they both knew they still had six months before the tests, both wanted to be prepared and not have to cram for it while also dealing with their fall classes. Their plan was to finish their last prerequisite, Biochemistry, in the fall and have their scores back by Christmas or early the next year. Then, they would begin the application process.

Cody and Bailey hadn't really planned any vacations for the summer. Sure, they spent at least one weekend a month in Boston, but that was about it. They had discussed taking the Amtrak down to Washington DC, but decided they would save that for the next years spring break. And they looked into going back to Kettlecorn at some point over the summer, but finding a good time wasn't going to be possible. Both of their summer jobs were going so well that both were asked if they wanted to work some hours during the semester. Looking at their schedules, both agreed that they could work a few hours on Thursday and Friday afternoons. So, they wouldn't be having a last day of work.

But that didn't mean they didn't have other excursions to look forward to. On their soon to be wedding anniversary, they did go back to their bed and breakfast on the shore. The had their room booked for Friday and Saturday nights. (Jo had offered to feed Porkers on Saturday so they could have the whole weekend.) The weekend had gone very well, and on Saturday evening, they were walking on the beach again, hand in hand.

"Two years from today..."

Bailey turned to Cody and smiled. "I know..."

Cody began to think. "I have another idea I want to run past you..."

"What's that?"

"Well, this day and sunsets have always gone hand in hand. What would you think of having the ceremony at sunset?"

Bailey leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Sounds perfect..."

Cody smiled at her. "To me too..."

Bailey sighed in contentment. "You know, I really am beginning to think this is all going to work out like we hope..."

"Of course it will. We're doing this like we do everything else...we're tackling it head on and developing a plan to follow through..."

"That's right. Cody, you have no idea how comforting it is to have someone who understands how my mind works..."

Cody lifted her chin and grinned at her. "Oh, I think maybe I do..."

Bailey giggled. "Oh yeah..."

"That's why we make a great team..."

Bailey smiled. "Yeah, we do..."

Their other goal that summer was learning to play golf. Early on, they both flat out stunk. Several times, they would swing and miss. Tiger Woods (before he started to suck) they weren't. But as the summer went on, they both did improve. It didn't hurt that they found a book on the physics of golf. After reading that together, they both improved dramatically. Neither would ever win a long drive contest, but they were able to finally hit the ball into the air and straight.

It was early July that they received another letter for Sony Pictures Studio. This time, it was air dates for the College Team Tournament. Since it wasn't due to air until mid August, both tucked it away with a reminder to let their families and friends know to watch. However, since their first round match was to be aired on a Friday evening, they decided they would take a half a day off and drive up to Boston to watch it in person with Zack, Cassie, Carey and Arwin. Besides, the next day, Zack and Cassie would be moving into their new place

_To be Continued..._


	56. Summer in Boston

_Chapter 56_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

**Author's Note: Alright, people have asked for a chapter like this, so...**

Back in Boston, life was going on as well. Cassie was back being Esteban's assistant, but from last summer, she already knew how to do everything. To herself, she thought Bailey may have been right. What about a career in tourism and hospitality management? But she quickly shook her head. She liked her job, but she didn't love it. Now, Zack on the other hand, she knew he was loving his summer job.

Zack was back working for the Celtics again. He had made quite the impression on the assistant general manager last year and was welcomed back gladly. Sure, he still spent days on a golf course being a gopher, but he was having a blast. And this summer, he had actually been invited to some team related functions. Of course, he didn't mind walking into a party with, in his eyes, the most beautiful girl he had ever seen on his arm. Zack was really flourishing in this environment, and he had even became acquaintances with some of the players.

Of course, it had made Zack think. Was this something he wanted to pursue. He loved sports, and a future working in sports did sound like a lot of fun. So much so in fact, he was pretty sure he was going to declare sports management as his major. He couldn't think of anything more exciting than working in a front office somewhere. Of course, his first preference would have been to actually be out on the court or the field himself, but he had to acknowledge that his athletic abilities were just not that good. The more he thought about it, he knew he had learned that his freshman year at Cheavers when he was the last man on the bench in basketball.

And he was pretty sure he could make a good living at it too. When Cassie had told him her thoughts of going into music education, Zack had completely supported her. He had heard her both play and sing, and he knew his girlfriend was very talented. While he had no desire to ever be on the other side of the desk or podium, he knew Cassie would be great at it. Of course, he also knew that teachers didn't usually make a lot of money (something his brother had told him was a travesty over and over), but he thought he would make enough to offset it. That's when it dawned on him, that he wasn't just thinking about his future...He was thinking of their future together.

That thought made his sit back and think. They had been dating for over two years now, so it shouldn't have been too much of a surprise to him. It was by far the longest relationship he had ever had. And he did truly love Cassie. But part of him also knew he wasn't ready to propose or anything like his brother had. He was enjoying things exactly the way they were right now. He and Cassie had lived together for all practical purposes last year, but this next year they would be for real. And its not like he wanted any other girls. He didn't.

But part of him was a little worried. He knew all of the recent talk about Cody and Bailey's wedding had to be making an impression on Cassie. If he was honest, it was making an impression on him too. But, he didn't want Cassie to be disappointed if he didn't propose. He thought she knew that they had been saving their money for their apartment, so where would he get money for a ring. Of course, there was Grammy Martin's ring which had been set aside for one of her grandson to use. And Cody didn't need it as he had used Grandma Ellie's. Zack made himself stop thinking. The more he thought about reasons why he couldn't, he was finding solutions to those reasons. The only thing that brought him some solace was things two people had told him. His brother had told him to make his relationship what he and Cassie had wanted it to be. And Cassie had told him they should take things slow.

Of course, what had happened in Orlando hadn't been taking things slow. And its not as if they had been chaste since then. Zack had to smile when he realized it had been quite the opposite. And he did know he wanted a future with Cassie. He just didn't want Cassie to be upset with him for not doing what she thought he should do. But, she had come to him and talked to him in Orlando, so the least he could do was talk to her. At the very least, she wouldn't be expecting something that wasn't coming soon.

So, when he got home that afternoon, he found Cassie already sitting on the couch in the suite watching the flat screen plasma TV on the wall. He reminded himself he needed to call London and thank her for that. And if he was honest, maybe she would hook he and Cassie up like she had Cody and Bailey. He quickly changed clothes, and joined her out on the couch. Summoning his courage he turned to her.

"Babe?"

Cassie turned to him. "Yeah, Zack?"

"I was hoping we could talk about something..."

Cassie nodded and turned off the TV. "Sure. What do you want to talk about?"

Zack paused trying to figure out how he wanted to start. "You know I love you, right?"

Cassie smiled. "I know. I love you too..."

"Good. Today was kind of slow, and I had some time to think."

Cassie teased. "That's never good..."

Zack chuckled. "Normally, I would agree. But I was thinking about us. I wanted you to know what I was thinking...what I was feeling..."

Cassie realized Zack was being serious. "Okay..."

"Cassie...I like where we are right now..."

This confused Cassie. "Okay...So do I..."

"And its not that I haven't thought about the future, I have...I'm just not ready to propose right now..."

"What? Propose?"

"Someday, yeah...but right now, I like the way things are going..."

"Zack, back up! Why are you talking about proposing?"

Zack paused. "Well, I figured that with all the planning going on with Cody and Bailey's wedding that you might be thinking...you know..."

Cassie began to laugh. "Wait...You thought I might be expecting you to propose?"

"Well...yeah."

Cassie just shook her head. "Zack...No, I'm not. Like you said, I like the way things are right now. In a few weeks, we'll be moving into an apartment together. Let's take things one step at a time..."

Zack slumped back into the couch. "Okay, I feel like an idiot now..."

Cassie just scooted closer to him and wrapper her arm around his shoulders. "Don't. I'm actually really proud of you. You had a concern, and instead of letting it fester and leading you to do something neither of us was ready for, you came and talked to me. That's a real sign of maturity, Zack..."

Zack chuckled. "Thanks...But don't go spreading that around. I do have a reputation to maintain..."

"Sorry, Zack...I think you're losing your bad boy reputation..."

Zack paused to think. "Maybe..."

"Just don't go doing something to try to get it back..."

Zack turned to her. "How did you know..."

Cassie laughed. "Zack...We've been dating for over two years now. I think its pretty safe to say that I've learned how your mind works..."

"I suppose...There was something else I was thinking about today..."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"I was thinking of declaring sports management as my major..."

Cassie smiled. "Would you be happy doing that?"

Zack nods. "Yeah, I know I would..."

"Then go for it..."

Zack grinned. "Maybe I could get on with the Sox and you could spend your summers off hanging out with me..."

"We'll see..."

Zack shrugged. "Well, what sounds like fun tonight?"

"There are a few things we need to take care of before we head back to Storrs..."

"Like what?"

"Well, we need to get a bed in a bag for our bedroom, a few lamps and some things for our bathroom like a few rugs, a hamper, towels and a shower curtain..."

Zack sighed. "Shopping?"

Cassie grinned. "Yup! Come on, lets go take care of it now and we won't have to later..."

"Fine..." But Zack didn't really mind. He would follow that woman anywhere.

_To be Continued..._


	57. The First Episode

_Chapter 57_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

It was the week of their Jeopardy air date, and Cody and Bailey decided it was time to let everyone in on the surprise. So, they sent out a mass email to their family and friends telling them to tune in to Jeopardy on Friday night. They didn't say why except that everyone would be happy that they did. The only one that was different was a separate email to Marcus. In the email, Cody said that when Marcus had time, Cody wanted to talk to him on a webchat.

There were numerous replies of curiosity, but Cody and Bailey sent out another mass email just telling people to watch and they would explain everything later. Everyone finally agreed, and Cody received an email back from Marcus saying he would be online Thursday night. So, that night, Cody and Bailey set up the webcam and were ready when they saw Marcus come online. Soon, they were all able to see each other.

"_Yo! What's up?"_

Bailey smiled. "Marcus! How are you doing?"

"_Back in the studio, working on a new album..."_

"How's Melanie?"

"_She's good. She's coming over later to hang out..."_

"Good. Tell her we said hello..."

"_Will do. How about you two? Everything doing alright?"_

"Everything is great. We're both in New Haven this summer working. Classes start back in a couple of weeks..."

"_Good. Now, why am I watching Jeopardy tomorrow night?"_

Cody grins. "Lets just say you may see a couple of people you recognize..."

"_Seriously?"_

"There's a good chance..."

"_Awesome...Let me guess, you can't tell me how you did, right?"_

"That's correct..."

"_Oh well. How's the wedding coming along?"_

"Well, we have a date set now..."

"_Let's hear it...I'll go ahead and put it in my calendar..."_

"June 26, 2014..."

"_That's less than two years away..."_

Bailey grinned. "We graduate in less than two years..."

_Marcus shrugged. "Why am I not surprised?"_

Cody laughed. "Anyways, I have a favor to ask of you."

"_Name it."_

"I was hoping you would agree to be one of my groomsmen..."

"_You know I will...I'm honored."_

"Thanks, Man...At some point closer to the actual wedding, I'll need you to get fitted for a tux, and I'm sure Zack will be letting you know when the bachelor party is..."

"_Can't wait...Hey, Melanie is here. I need to go, but keep in touch, guys..."_

The next day, Cody and Bailey only worked a half day and both were back home by 1:00 that afternoon. After changing out of their scrubs and showering, both packed clothes for a weekend and were on the road for Boston (Porkers in tow). A couple of hours later, they were back in Boston and back in the Tipton. Of course, with Cassie working the front desk, they couldn't sneak past her. They told her they would have dinner ready for them in the suite at 7:00 and had a surprise for everyone. After dropping their bag off in the suite, they went and told Carey and Arwin the same thing.

At 7:00, everyone was gathered in the teens' suite. To make things easier, pizza had been ordered. Everyone sat around and peppered Cody and Bailey with questions about their surprise. But both just smiled and said everyone would see shortly. Finally, 7:30 arrived, and the TV was turned on to the proper channel. Cody just told everyone to sit back and watch.

"_This...is...the...Jeopardy College Team Championship. Here are our final three quarter finalists...Sophomores from Duke University, Howard Jenkins and Waldo Murphy...Juniors from the Ohio State University, Missy Thompkins and Greg Moss...And Freshmen from Yale University, Bailey Pickett and Cody Martin...And now, here is the host of Jeopardy...Alex Trebek..."_

Zack, Cassie, Arwin, and Carey just look at Cody and Bailey in complete shock. "But...but..."

Cody chuckled. "Well explain everything at the first commercial break..."

"_Thank you, Johnny. Welcome ladies and gentlemen. We would like to welcome you to the final quarterfinal round of our College Team Tournament. So, to our teams, good luck. Here we go. The first round is the Jeopardy round. And these categories now in play...State Capitals...Agriculture...Name that Toon...'P' Soup...Opera...and Before and After...Yale, you have control of the board..."_

As per usual, half of the answers in the first round are asked before a commercial break is taken. Cody deferred to Bailey and she immediately went for the Agriculture category, and proceeded to run right through it. Next was Cody's turn, and he went straight for Opera and matched Bailey by running through it as well. Of course by then, the teams from Duke and Ohio State were rattled. Cody and Bailey next chose State Capitals, and between them both, dominated it as well. Going into the first commercial break, the score was 9,000 to 0 to -400 (Team Duke tried to answer an opera question but got it wrong.)

The first commercial break came, and immediately, Cody and Bailey's phones began to blow up with calls and texts. But they decided they would deal with those later and concentrate on the four sitting with them just staring at them.

Cody smiled. "I guess we should explain. That is how we spent our first week of spring break..."

Zack just shook his head. "So, there was no Lake Havasu then...Why didn't you tell anybody?"

Bailey shrugged. "We didn't find out we were going to be on until we got back from Christmas. We didn't want to get everyone's hopes up before we went. And after, we had signed confidentiality agreements, so we didn't think it would be nice to tell people we had been on and not tell them how we did..."

Carey laughed. "So, we don't get to know how you did?"

"Sorry, Mom...You'll just have to watch..."

Zack laughed. "Well, looks like you two dominated the first round..."

Before more could be said, the show came on, and Alex Trebek did his brief interviews with the contestants. Finally, he got to Cody and Bailey.

"_Alright, I understand you two aren't an average team. You two are actually engaged to be married?"_

"_That's correct, Alex. Bailey and I will be getting married after we graduate."_

"_I also hear you both had an interesting high school experience. You met at a high school that was on a cruise ship?"_

"_Yes, sir. Cody and I met and fell in love at Seven Seas High on the S.S. Tipton. It was an educational experience we would recommend to anyone..."_

"_Well, let's set sail into the rest of the Jeopardy round...Team Yale, you still have control of the board..."_

Cody and Bailey maintained their dominance through the rest of the Jeopardy round, but were unable to keep a shutout going. And both other teams groaned when Cody and Bailey found the Daily Double in the Before and After category. But, they weren't too greedy and didn't make it a true Daily Double. At the end of the Jeopardy round, it was Team Yale 17,300, Team Ohio State 1,200 and Team Duke 900.

"_Team Duke will be picking first in these categories of Double Jeopardy ...Astronomy...Animals...Mythology...Revolutionary Quotes...Baseball...and Home Economics..."_

Double Jeopardy went about as well as the Jeopardy round did. Cody and Bailey didn't know if luck was shining down on them or not, but the categories just fell in line for them. They didn't get both Daily Doubles, but they did get one of them. And Cody's dominance of the Home Economics category was a sight to be seen. However, with their last second true Daily Double, Team Ohio State was able to get within half of Cody and Bailey's total. The scores going into Final Jeopardy were Team Yale 31,600, Ohio State 15,800, and Team Duke 5,600.

"_Well, it looks like it will come down to Final Jeopardy and this category...American Presidents..."_

After the final commercial break. _"The category is American Presidents. Here comes the clue...This is the only state to be the the birthplace of two Presidents who served simultaneously...Thirty Seconds, Good Luck..."_

The famous Jeopardy theme music began to play as the camera panned on the three teams as they wrote their final answers.

"_Team Duke...You answered Virginia...I'm sorry, that is incorrect. You wagered...$5,600 leaving you with zero...Team Ohio State...You answered Illinois...I'm sorry, that is incorrect as well. You wagered...0...Leaving you with $15,800. We'll see if that holds up. Team Yale...You answered Kentucky...That is correct. Both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis were both born in the Commonwealth. You wagered, $1 leaving you with $31,601 and a spot in the semi finals...Lets meet who will be joining them as our other semifinalists...Team Harvard...Team Princeton...Team Stanford...Team Kentucky...And our other semifinalists...Team Georgia...Team Arizona State...Team Cornell...and Team Ohio State. Tune in next week as we have our semifinals and finals. Join us for that, won't you? So long everyone..."_

Zack turned to Cody and Bailey. "Only $1? You could have destroyed them! And it looked like you two let up in Double Jeopardy..."

Cody laughed. "We did. That was our strategy for the quarterfinals. We said if we had a big lead, we wouldn't take chances and only wager enough to make sure we got into the semis..."

"But why?"

Cody paused. "Think of it like this. You're the head coach of the UCONN basketball team. In the first round of the tournament, you have your opponents put away with ease. Do you keep your starters in the game and risk them getting hurt?"

"Of course not...Ohhhh I think I get what you're saying..."

Carey spoke up. "So, when are you on next?"

Bailey smiled. "Tuesday night..."

Cassie spoke now. "Can you tell us against who?"

Cody and Bailey look at each other and shrug. "I guess that would be okay. Georgia and Arizona State..."

Zack chuckled. "First Kurt Warner, then you made up for that with Steve Nash, and then you had to go beat up on the hometown team, huh?"

_To be Continued..._


	58. Moving to Storrs

_Chapter 58_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Everyone wanted to go out and celebrate their win, but before they could do that, Cody and Bailey had several phone calls to return. Bailey had to call back her parents and several of her sisters. Cody had to call back his grandmother and his Aunt Karen. And between them both, they had to call back numerous friends. Mr. Moseby even thanked them for the glowing endorsement of Seven Seas High. They explained to everyone when they would be on next, but still couldn't tell them how they ended up doing.

Before they went out for a celebration, Carey spoke up.

"You know, I hate to say it, but that girl on Team Harvard looked an awful lot like...You know, nevermind..."

Cody laughed. "Like Barbara? That's because it was..."

"But what about the restraining order?"

Bailey shrugged. "The executive producer told us it was our choice. We could send them home and have the back up team play, but we agreed to let her play..." She grinned. "Plus, we thought it would be so much better if we got a chance to beat her..."

Cassie grinned. "And did you?"

Bailey was about to say something when Cody put his hand over her mouth. "You know we can't say anything..."

Cassie shrugged. "Worth a shot..."

Carey laughed. "Alright, lets all go out for some ice cream...You all do need to be up early tomorrow to head to Storrs..."

So, they did go out for some celebratory ice cream. And Cody and Bailey did get several second looks as they were out, but nobody came up and interrupted them. They didn't stay out too late as they had to get back and load up the SUVS. Cassie and Bailey packed up things while Zack and Cody took numerous trips loading the vehicles. Early the next morning, they were on the road.

They arrived in Storrs around noon, and Cody and Bailey waited while Zack and Cassie signed their lease. They were going to let Porkers out for a walk, but thought better of doing so right in front of the apartment complex office. Finally, Zack and Cassie walked out and back to the SUV. Cody and Bailey followed them to the back of the complex to a building across from the complex gym and pool. As they parked the Escape, they just looked at each other and said it figured.

With the apartment being furnished, it only took about an hour to unload everything they needed. As they got the last load out, a van from a local electronics store showed up looking for a Zack Martin. To himself, he smiled figuring all the hints he had dropped to London had paid off. And he was right. London had sent them a similar housewarming gift as she did Cody and Bailey. There was a flatscreen almost identical to the one Cody and Bailey had along with similar bells and whistles. The only difference was now there were two smaller flatscreens to be installed in the bedrooms.

While the workmen were busy hooking everything up, Zack and Cassie were busy setting up their bedroom the way they wanted it. Cody and Bailey took turns setting up what they had for the kitchen before they fixed up the bathroom. Even after Woody and Addison arrived, the four still had some shopping to do for plates, glasses and silverware.

Speaking of which, Woody and Addison came rolling in about four in the afternoon. So, everyone was back to unloading Woody's new vehicle that he and Addison had driven in from Cleveland. They immediately congratulated Cody and Bailey on the butt whooping they had administered. Turns out they had left early Friday afternoon and had stopped at a motel somewhere in Pennsylvania for the night to watch.

A few hours later, everyone was settled in and relaxing around the living room. Zack, Cassie, Woody and Addison needed to make a run to a few stores, but were resting first. Zack turned to his brother.

"So...If we were to have a housewarming/birthday party for Cassie on Friday night, would we be having any other reason to celebrate?"

Cody just laughed. "Zack, you know I can't tell you that..."

"Alright, if we have a get together here next Friday, will you two be in attendance?"

Cody turned to Bailey and she shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Cassie sighed. "Just think. We start classes back two weeks from Monday..."

Bailey smiled. "We don't start until that Wednesday..."

"When is your last day of work going to be?"

"Well, this is our last full week. Then we are taking a week off to relax and maybe head down to the beach for fun and sun before we begin. If you guys want to hit it too, just come on down..."

"We may do that. I could use some beach time..."

"Just let us know...We should be heading back though. You guys still have some things you have to do, and we don't want to get in your way..."

Cassie laughed. "Don't rush off because of that...We're in no rush..."

Zack nodded. "Yeah. Who knows when the next time we'll all be together at the same time. Let's all go do something..."

Cody turned to him. "Like what?"

Zack paused. "Well, the new Batman movie has been out for about a week now. The crowds may be died down enough for us to get in..."

Cody shrugged. "I'm game..."

Bailey nodded. "Sure..."

So, that's what they were off to do. Before they went, Cody borrowed Zack's laptop to use . And it was a good think he did. The were able to get six of the final tickets for the 9:45 showing. Since it was just now about 7:00, they decided to go grab something to eat and take their time.

On the way to to the theater, the guys were in one car and the girls were in another. Cody and Bailey both took it as a chance to ask an important question.

Addison, Bailey and Cassie were all chatting when the subject of the wedding came up. Bailey explained to Addison all the most up to date news. That is when Bailey asked.

"So, Addison...I was hoping I could ask you a favor..."

"Sure, Bailey...Name it..."

"I was hoping you would be one of my bridesmaids..."

Addison smiled. "I'd be honored..."

Bailey smiled back. "Thank you. London is designing the dresses, so she is going to get me some sketches by the end of the year. Once I've decided, we'll all go down to New York one day for measurements..."

"Sounds good to me...Have you picked a color pattern yet?"

Bailey nods. "Yeah...Since we are going to have the ceremony at sunset, along with black, we are going with lavender and pink..."

"Awww...I bet the dresses will be beautiful. But you got Cody to go along with that?"

Bailey laughed. "Yeah, he said it was my call. Of course, he's waiting to tell his groomsmen that they will have to wear lavender vests and ties with their tuxes until after they agree..."

"Who are his groomsmen?"

"Well, Zack is the best man. Marcus is on board, and unless I'm missing my guess, he's asking Woody right now..."

In the other SUV, Cody, Woody and Zack are joking around.

"Woodchuck, trust me, this bachelor party is going to be epic..."

Cody shakes his head. "I don't know about all of that..."

Woody turns to Cody. "Come on...One last great adventure in your life!"

"Maybe its me, but I think marriage will be a great adventure itself..."

"You know what I mean!"

"Speaking of the wedding, Woodford...I have a favor to ask you..."

"What's that?"

"I was hoping you would be one of my groomsmen..."

Woody smiled. "Awww...I'd be happy too..."

"Excellent. Once we decide on the tuxedo style, we'll get you in for a fitting..."

Zack turned to his brother. "I hope you are going with full vests and not cummerbunds..."

Cody nodded. "If I have any say in it..."

Zack grinned. "Good...I always did look better in a vest..."

Cody mumbled to himself. "I hope you like lavender then..."

Unfortunately for him, Zack and Woody heard him. "Lavender?"

Finally, they got to the theater a little early so they could get seats together. The movie was brilliant. Better than Batman Begins, but it wasn't quite as good as the Dark Knight. But, who the villain was and who had been chosen to play them blew everyone away.

It was close to midnight by the time everyone returned back to the apartment. This time, Cody and Bailey knew that they had to be leaving. It was going to be after one in the morning when they were going to get home anyways. The other four offered the use of their couches, but Cody and Bailey said they had a lot to do the next day.

Well, it was closer to two when they got home, and both just barely had the energy to change clothes and crawl into bed.

"Goodnight, Bails...Love you."

"Goodnight, Codykins...Love you too..."

"I'll be so glad when this week is over. We'll be done with working full time, and we can stop keeping secrets..."

_To be Continued..._


	59. A Time to Celebrate

_Chapter 59_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

After sleeping in on Sunday, both Cody and Bailey spent Sunday studying for the MCAT and GRE. They now only had three months until their tests and only two weeks before school started back. This was going to be one of their last chances to have be able to focus completely on the tests. But throughout the summer, both were feeling better about the exams. To Bailey, the GRE was like an advanced SAT, and she had done very well on it. To Cody, the MCAT was basically a very big science test, and he felt he was in his element.

On Monday, both returned to work and received standing ovations from their co-workers. Of course, another round of questions were asked to them, but all they would say was that they next aired again the next night. After that, work continued on as usual. Cody was beginning to wrap up some of the projects he had been assigned to work on that summer. He wanted to have his findings done before he left on Friday. Dr. Cole had no doubts that Cody's work was going to be very useful. On the other hand, Bailey was in for a very busy week. Pet owners had noticed how their pets had taken to Bailey and wanted her to be there for any last minute appointments. And Dr. Ryan soon learned that during the semester, Thursday and Friday afternoon appointments were going to be a premium. Both of their bosses were sad to lose them full time, but they were happy to know they would be keeping them on in some capacity.

Tuesday night brought with it Cody and Bailey's semifinal game. They had both decided to watch it alone so they wouldn't have to answer any more questions. In that game, Cody and Bailey didn't just completely dominate right from the start like they did in the quarterfinals...but it was close. They were like a well oiled machine. Categories seemed to be tailored to at least one of their strengths. By the end of the Jeopardy round, they had a sizable lead – Team Yale 7,200, Team Georgia 2,200 and Team Arizona State 1,200.

The Double Jeopardy round went about the same. At one point, Team Georgia tried making a run at them, but a well played Daily Double by Cody and Bailey extended their lead again. By the time the Double Jeopardy round was over, the scores were Team Yale 14,800, Team Georgia 8,000 and Team Arizona State 4,400. Going into Final Jeopardy, Cody and Bailey weren't real worried about Arizona State, but had to bet at least 1,201 to make sure they finished ahead of Team Georgia if both got the answer correct.

Of course, once the Final Jeopardy category was announced, both Cody and Bailey felt very confident...The Revolutionary War. And the answer was as easy as they had hoped. It asked what tribe of Native Americans did the Americans dress up as for the Boston Tea Party. Both smiled as it was information they had learned on the tour of Boston Harbor when Bailey first arrived in Boston. Of course, the answer was the Mohawks. Team Georgia knew it as well, but Cody and Bailey had won by $1 and secured a spot in the finals...where they would go head to head with Team Harvard and Team Kentucky.

Wednesday night brought with in an unexpected phone call. Max and Tapeworm had moved back to New Haven that morning. Both, tired of their roommates the previous semester, had found studio apartments in a building not far from where Cody and Bailey lived. So, they were officially back in town now. Of course, they both congratulated Cody and Bailey for the performances so far. In turn, they invited Max and Tapeworm over to have dinner and to watch the first round of the finals. And they double checked with Zack and made sure it was okay to bring them up to Storrs the next night.

So, on Thursday night, Cody had dinner ready by the time they came over. They finished just in time to turn on the Finals. It was evident throughout the whole round that Barbara was giving Bailey dirty looks, but Bailey was too focused to notice them. The Finals, like the finals of every Jeopardy tournament is an accumulation of scores over two days. So, playing it safe just to get to the next round is not a good idea. Throughout round one, Team Harvard and Team Yale were going back and forth. It was obvious to the rest of the country that the rivalry had carried over to Jeopardy, but the rest of the country had no idea just how bad the blood really was between the two teams. Team Kentucky was quietly staying within striking distance. At the end of the first day of competition, Harvard and Yale were both tied at 22,000. Kentucky wasn't all that far behind at 15,000. Those scores would be added to the scores from day two.

After the show was over, there was immediately a call from Zack thanking them for bringing some drama to the shindig the next evening. As they sat around, Tapeworm turned to Cody.

"So, what was it like having to compete against Barbara?"

Cody shrugged. "Well, I tried not to let it affect me..."

Max laughed. "If she would have done to me what she did to you two, I would have wanted to destroy her..."

Bailey nodded. "Believe me...I wanted to..."

"Did you notice all the dirty looks she was giving you?"

"Not at the time, but seeing them now, I'm not sure how I missed them..."

"Did you two talk to her after everything was over?"

Cody shook his head. "No. I have nothing to say to her..."

"What about you, Bailey?"

Bailey smiled. "I didn't say anything...But I made sure she could see my engagement ring as much as possible..."

Cody turned to her. "You did?"

Bailey nodded. "Yes. I know it was probably a little childish, but I wanted to remind her that you are all mine..."

Cody smiled. "So, is that why you pulled me into those passionate kisses around the pool, in the hot tub, and on the stage?"

Bailey grinned. "The first ones were...The others were because I wanted to..."

Cody laughed. "Well, I enjoyed them, so I can't complain. But I am all yours, I don't care what anyone else thinks..."

Max sighed. "And to think...I actually missed their mushiness this summer..."

Bailey smiled. "Speaking of mushiness...We have some news for you both..."

"What's that?"

"We've set a date..."

"Yeah, when?"

"June 26, 2014. On board the S.S. Tipton..."

Tapeworm smiled. "Sounds like a lot of fun..."

Cody smiled too. "We hope so. And we actually have a favor to ask of the both of you..."

"Yeah, what's that?"

Bailey finished. "Well, I know you have both known Cody for a long time, and in the past year, I've come to consider you both great friends as well..."

Max smiled. "We feel the same way..."

"We were hoping you two would agree to be a groomsmen and a bridesmaid..."

Tapeworm smiled. "I'm sure Max will look good in a tux, but I don't think anyone wants to see me in a dress..."

Max playfully smacked him and turned back to Bailey. "We'd be honored..."

Bailey smiled. "Good. Once we have the dresses and tuxes decided, we'll get you both in for fittings..."

The next afternoon, Cody and Bailey both were given back to school parties at their respective jobs as it was both their last days until school started. Both left early and were ready to head out when Tapeworm and Max showed up at the house at 4:30. The quickly got on the road and made there way to Storrs by 6:30.

It seemed that everyone there had been very sociable in the first week there, and the apartment was filled with several neighbors and some of their fraternity brothers and sorority sisters. Cody, Bailey, Max and Tapeworm were introduced to everyone, and all the guests socialized before the show was to begin. Finally, at 7:30, everyone was gathered around the flatscreen.

"_This...is...the...Jeopardy College Team Championship. Here are our finalists in this the second day of the Championship Round...Sophomores from the University of Kentucky, Mike Clooney and Ashley Wall...Freshmen from Harvard University, Mark Chang and Barbara Brownstein...And Freshmen from Yale University, Bailey Pickett and Cody Martin...And now, here is the host of Jeopardy...Alex Trebek..."_

Alex Trebek came out and made his appearance to the audience.

"_Thank you, Johnny. Welcome ladies and gentlemen. We would like to welcome you to the final game of our College Team Tournament. The scores the teams accumulate today will be added to their totals from yesterday. The team with the highest cumulative score will be our champions. So, to our teams, good luck. Here we go. The first round is the Jeopardy round. And these categories now in play...'G'eography...Comic Book Villains...College Coaches...The Civil War...European Monarchs and Potent Potables...Yale, you have control of the board..."_

The first round was a battle back and forth between Harvard and Yale with Kentucky again bringing up the rear. In fact, at the end of the Jeopardy round, Harvard had slight $400 lead.

"_Team Kentucky will be picking first in these categories of Double Jeopardy ...Ancient Egypt...American Vice Presidents...Poetry...Civil War Generals...2007 Movies...and Spring Break..."_

Again, Harvard and Yale battled back and forth throughout the Double Jeopardy round. You could tell you were watching an instant classic as it progressed. Finally, the round ended...in a tie. Yale and Harvard were tied at $26,800 with Kentucky in third at $15,200.

"_Well, it looks like it will come down to Final Jeopardy and this category...Memorable Sports Moments..."_

After the final commercial break. _"The category is Memorable Sports Moments. Here comes the answer...Game 6 of the 1986 World Series involved the infamous moment of the ball going through Bill Buckner's legs. However, it was this Met who hit the ball..."_

The famous Jeopardy theme music began to play as the camera panned on the three teams as they wrote their final answers. You could see Team Kentucky immediately begin writing something down. Team Harvard was seen in a heated discussion. With Team Yale, you could see Bailey frown before she noticed Cody grin and begin writing.

Zack turned to his brother. "Bro...If you missed this..."

"_Team Kentucky...You answered Who is Ray Knight?...I'm sorry, that is incorrect. Ray Knight is actually the Met who scored the winning run on the play. You wagered...$2,200 leaving you with $14,000 and a combined two day total of $29,000...Team Harvard...You answered...Who is Derek Jeter?...I'm sorry, that is incorrect as well. You wagered...$26,800...Leaving you with $0 for this round and a two day total of $22,000. So, Team Yale needs to end Final Jeopardy with at least $29,001 to become our Champions. Team Yale..._

There was a pause for dramatic effect.

"_You answered...Who is Mookie Wilson?"_

Another pause for dramatic effect.

"_That is correct. Did you wager at least $7,001?"_

Yet another pause for dramatic effect.

"_You wagered, $26,000 leaving you with $52,000 and a combined two day total of $74,000. Congratulations to Team Yale, Bailey Pickett and Cody Martin...Our 2012 Jeopardy College Team Champions! Tune in next week as we return to our normal version of your favorite answer and question game. Join us for that, won't you? So long everyone..."_

In the apartment, everyone went crazy and Cody and Bailey both slumped back in relief. They had made it and had resisted the urge to tell everyone that they had won.

Zack patted them both on the back. "Congrats, Bro...Sis..." He paused and grinned. "So...just how much did you two win anyways?"

Cody and Bailey just shook their heads at him. There was no way they were going to tell anyone that the usual $100,000 for the regular College Championship had been bumped up considerably. Of course, Uncle Sam was going to try to get his hands on as much as he could, but Cody had some ideas to get around that. And all of that money was going to be invested until they needed it for either grad school or afterwards.

_To be Continued..._


	60. A Step in the Wrong Direction

_Chapter 60_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next week brought with it even more offers of congratulations. It seemed everyone they had ever known or ever met was calling or texting or emailing. And along side these offers, other people wanted to talk to them too. Numerous newspapers wanted interviews with them. Among them were the Boston Globe, the Yale Daily News, USA Today, and the Kettlecorn Gazette. They both agreed to give interviews to their hometown papers and college newspaper. They feared USA Today would be a little bit much.

The rest of the week was spent just taking it easy. There wasn't work to go to, and classes didn't start until the next week. So, there were several days they headed down to the coast just to enjoy the beach. On occasion, Max and Tapeworm would go with them, and on one day, Zack, Cassie, Addison and Woody came down to go as well. It was good for everyone to have one last bit of fun as soon, they would be back in school.

Monday of the next week brought with it another trip to the Yale bookstore. Again, Cody and Bailey walked out with bags and bags of new textbooks and supplies. They spent the afternoon organizing everything and getting everything ready for Wednesday. Tuesday was just spent trying to get back into their normal routine. Even after being Jeopardy champions, they just wanted to be normal college students.

Of course, that was easier said than done. Even on their first day back on campus, they couldn't help but notice the looks and stares they were getting. The Yale student body basically reacted in one of four ways. The majority were indifferent and didn't care. That suited Cody and Bailey just fine. A smaller group were the ones who thought they could have done a better job than they did and gave Cody and Bailey dirty looks. There was nothing Cody and Bailey could do about that. The third group was the one were people were actually happy for them or so full of school spirit that they were happy Yale won. The fourth group was the scary one though.

This was the group who had seen them on TV and had developed a "celebrity crush." At best, these were annoying. Cody and Bailey just hoped they didn't have to see what the worst case scenario was. In their first class of the day, a group of guys tried to gather around Bailey. She just held up her engagement ring and cleared her throat. Most seemed to get the message. In their next class, it was the opposite. This time, it was a group of girls who gathered around Cody. He decided to see if the same trick Bailey used would work, so he lifter her hand to show the engagement ring and cleared his throat. Unfortunately, it didn't work as well, and Cody had to become more vocal that he wasn't interested.

Returning back home after their Evolutionary Biology class, Bailey and Cody both just slumped back into the couch.

"Cody?"

"Yeah?"

"When will this be over?"

Cody sighed. "Soon I hope..."

"Me too...I actually enjoy just being an ordinary student..."

"I know...But, hopefully our fifteen minutes of fame will be over soon. Just look at Ken Jennings. He was popular for a while and now, nothing..."

"I'm glad neither of us let it go to our heads..."

Cody smiled. "I did tell you all kinds of guys would see just how beautiful and brilliant you are..."

Bailey rolled her eyes. "Please...What about all of those girls who wanted to be part of your harem?"

"Too bad for them. I don't need a harem when I have you..."

Bailey smiled. "And I don't need admirers when I have you..."

"In a few weeks, all of this will blow over..."

"I sure hope so..."

"I know...Lets talk about something else..."

"Okay...What did you think of our classes today?"

"Game Theory seems interesting..." Cody paused and began to laugh. "Can you imagine Zack in that class though? He'd probably walk in thinking it had to do with video game strategy..."

Bailey laughed too. "I can totally see that..."

Well, a good laugh was all they needed to get their minds off of their new found celebrity. They still got looks the rest of the week, but things did begin to calm down after that. Seems everyone decided to actually focus on the fact that they were all back in class. Of course, Cody and Bailey's increased public displays of affection did deter the last of the stragglers.

The first week of classes was in the books, and so far, Cody and Bailey were enjoying their classes. General Ecology seemed like it was going to be a breeze. Game Theory was very interesting. Evolutionary Biology was in some ways a review of other classes they already had taken, but it was a prerequisite. Biochemistry was alright, but the fact that it was prerequisite for med and vet schools kept Cody and Bailey's attention. And American Economic History was extremely interesting especially with all of the inside information the professor brought to the table.

After that, both resumed their routine. The first few weeks of classes went by without anything major happening. They went to class, did their homework and reading, studied for the GRE and MCAT three days a week, and went to work on Thursdays and Fridays. Their first round of exams came and went without any problems. Life was was uneventful and ordinary, and both took great comfort in that.

It was on one Friday afternoon that things changed though. Cody had just pulled up to pick Bailey up at the Animal Hospital. Bailey came walking out when one of the boards of the steps up to the Animal Hospital gave away. Bailey immediate went down, her foot going straight through the step.. Cody immediately jumped out of the SUV and ran up to her.

"Bails! Are you okay?"

Bailey was grimacing in pain. "I don't know..."

Cody stepped around her so he could crouch down and get his hands on her waist. "Alright, I'm going to slowly lift you up, alright?"

Bailey nodded. "Okay..."

Cody slowly lifted Bailey so that her leg wouldn't be subjected to any splinters. Finally, he had freed her foot and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. My ankle hurts a little, but I should be fine..."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah...I just want to go home..."

Cody nodded. "Alright, I'm going to help you over to the car, then I'm going to go inside and let them know about the busted step..."

And that's what Cody did. He helped get Bailey situated in the car before running in and letting Dr. Ryan know what happened. She felt horrible and said she would have someone out to fix the step ASAP. She also made Cody promise to take care of Bailey. Cody assured her that he would.

Cody got Bailey home and helped her inside. He got her situated on the couch and took her shoe and sock off. That's when he saw it. Her ankle was starting to get swollen.

"How does it look, Cody?"

Cody looked up at her. "Its starting to swell..."

Bailey's shoulders slumped. "Oh..."

Cody smiled at her. "Don't worry. I'll get the ice pack and ace bandage, and we'll see if that will reduce the swelling. The rest of tonight, you lay back and keep your ankle elevated. Hopefully by tomorrow morning, it'll be fine..."

Bailey nodded. "Okay..."

Cody immediately filled up the ice pack, and used the ace bandage to secure it to Bailey's ankle. After that, he sat next to her on the couch with her foot propped up in his lap.

"Cody?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

"Thank you..."

Cody smiled at her. "Not a problem...Besides, we could use a night inside lounging around anyways..."

Bailey laughed. "I guess so..."

"Just sit back at relax...Dr. Martin is on the job..."

Later on, Cody got up and made them a light dinner so that Bailey didn't have to get up to eat it. The rest of the night, Cody kept Bailey's ankle elevated and changed the ice in the icepack when it began to melt. Finally, it was time for bed, and over Bailey's objections, Cody carried her from the couch to the bedroom.

"Cody, I could have walked..."

"Until the swelling goes down, I'm not taking any chances..."

Bailey smirked. "Are you going to change me into my pajamas too?"

Cody grinned at her. "I was actually looking forward to that part..."

Bailey just looked at him before she began to laugh. "Alright, fine...But I think you are just being overly cautious..."

"Humor me then...Because when it comes to your health and safety, I don't take chances."

Cody did help Bailey get changed. Then he grabbed a couple extra pillows so Bailey could keep her ankle elevated overnight. One last time for the night, he put new ice in the icepack and re-wrapped her ankle again. Once Bailey was settled in, Cody went back through the apartment and turned off all the lights and made sure the doors were locked. Then, he came back to the bedroom and changed into his own pajamas. Gently, he climbed into bed next to Bailey making sure he didn't accidentally kick her ankle.

"How does it feel?"

"Cold..."

"That's good then...Slow down the blood flow..."

"Cody, you know I love you, but this is nothing. At most, a minor sprain. You'll see..."

"Bails, I hope your right. But until then, I'm not taking any chances..."

Bailey just shook her head. "Alright, but you'll see I'm right about this..."

Cody smiled. "Okay...Goodnight, Bails...I love you..."

"Goodnight, Cody...I love you too..."

Both got comfortable, and soon, Cody was fast asleep. Bailey, on the other hand, was having trouble. Her ankle was hurting more that she was willing to admit. She hoped she was wrong, but her ankle might be more hurt that she had thought. Eventually, exhaustion finally over took her and she fell asleep.

The next morning, Cody woke up to find Bailey still asleep. He got up and took Porkers outside for a brief morning walk. Returning back inside, he could hear Bailey stirring in the bedroom.

"Good morning, Beautiful..."

Bailey looked up. "Hey..."

"How's the ankle?"

"I don't know...I haven't checked yet..."

Cody smiled. "Lets check then...I bet you were right..."

Cody went over and unwrapped Bailey's ankle. But, he didn't like what he saw at all. Instead of the swelling going down, it had actually gotten worse. And on top of that, it was now black and blue with a large bruise.

Cody paused and looked up at her.

"So, how does it look?"

"Bails...It's gotten worse. I'm taking you to the emergency room..."

_To be Continued..._


	61. A Bad Break

_Chapter 61_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

"But Cody...I don't need to go to the emergency room!"

Cody just smirked at her. "And how did you respond to me when I said the exact same thing twice before?"

Bailey paused and pouted. "But that was different..."

"Bails, if the situation was reversed right now, would you let me get away with not going to the emergency room?"

Bailey just sat there and said nothing. She knew as well as Cody did that there was no way she wouldn't make Cody go. "But Cody...I haven't had a shower..."

"Sweetie...If I help you take a shower, will you give up all other protests about me taking you?"

Bailey sighed. Deep down, she was a little worried about the severity of her injury herself. "Alright...A shower and I'll go.."

Cody smiled at her. "Good...Let's get you undressed and cleaned up..."

About an hour later, Bailey found herself sitting in the passenger seat of the SUV on the way to the emergency room. Once parked, Cody helped her into the ER entrance and over to a seat. After that, he signed her in and provided all of the necessary insurance information. Once that was taken care of, it was just a matter of waiting to be called.

Forty-five minutes later, Bailey's name was called. Initially, she was going to refuse to use a wheelchair to get back to the examine room, but Cody insisted. Bailey finally relented, and he pushed her back to the right exam room. Once there, Cody helped her up onto the exam table and helped slip off the pair of shoes he had gotten her to wear.

A little while later, a doctor finally came inside the exam room.

"I'm Doctor Diane Pepper...Yes, I know...I am really Dr. Pepper. So, it says here we have an ankle injury..."

Cody nodded. "Yeah, she fell yesterday. We tried to elevate it and ice it down to keep the swelling down last night, but it wasn't any better this morning. So, I brought her in..."

"And you are?"

"I'm her fiance..."

The doctor nodded. "Alright...Well, let's take a look, shall we?" She proceeded to examine Bailey's ankle and began to nod. "Wiggle your toes for me..."

Bailey proceeded to do just that.

The doctor nodded again. "Well, the blood vessels don't appear to be severed then. That's good."

Bailey looked at her. "Just a sprain, right?"

"Could be, but I want to take an x-ray just to make sure..."

Bailey asked nervously. "An x-ray?"

The doctor smiled. "Standard procedure. Besides, don't you want us to get this right?"

Bailey sighed and nodded.

"Good." The doctor turned to Cody. "Can you wheel her down to radiology? Go to the end of the hall and take a left."

Cody nodded. "Sure..."

The doctor turned back to Bailey. "You're pretty lucky, you know that?"

"I am?"

"Your fiance did everything he was supposed to do last night. Thanks to him, you didn't injure it worse than you could have..."

Bailey nodded as the doctor left the room.

Cody walked over and helped her get back into the wheelchair. "You ready to go to radiology?"

"Yeah...Cody?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry if I was being stubborn and hardheaded last night and this morning..."

Cody knelt down and smiled at her. "You acted the same way I did when I didn't want to go the ER either. Besides...Remember, your stubbornness and hardheadedness are two things I love about you..."

Bailey smiled. "And I love your willingness to always try to take care of me..."

"Come on...Let's go get that x-ray..."

Cody wheeled Bailey down to radiology, and sat with her as they waited for the radiologist to show up. Finally, he did, and Bailey was wheeled in for her x-ray. Cody waited outside as Bailey was laid back on the table and the x-rays were aimed at her right ankle. A lead apron was placed over the rest of her body, and the x-ray was taken. Once she was done, Cody wheeled her back to the exam room where they waited and waited.

Finally, the doctor returned to the exam room with the x-ray in hand.

"Alright, you want the good news or the bad news?"

Bailey sighed. "Let me hear the bad news..."

"You have a broken ankle..."

Bailey slumped back into her chair. The doctor smiled though. "But the good news is that its not so severe that you need surgery. And in the long run, you are better off having a broken ankle then a severe high ankle sprain..."

Bailey was confused. "How is that?"

Before the doctor could answer, Cody did. "Because the bone will heal a lot easier than tendons will..."

The doctor smiled. "He knows his stuff...Anyways, I'll have someone come in and place a cast on your ankle and have you fitted for crutches. After that, I want you to see an orthopedist in three weeks. I'll give you the name of someone over at Yale Student Health..." She turns to Cody. "Make sure she stays off her feet as much as possible. Keep her ankle elevated as much as possible too. I will write her a prescription for some pain killers too. Any questions?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah. I know to get a handicap parking pass, we would have to have a doctor sign off on the need for one. Will you do that?"

The doctor smiled. "Of course...I'll have a form signed for you before you leave."

The doctor left the room, and Bailey was still slumped back in her chair. Cody noticed this and tried to cheer her up. "You heard what the doctor said. In a few months, you'll be up and around like always..."

Bailey nodded. "I guess..."

Cody knelt down in front of her and held up his left wrist. "Hey...we've survived a cast before, haven't we?"

Bailey sighed. "Yeah, I guess we did..."

"And my wrist is just fine right now, isn't it?"

"Yeah..."

"See...You're going to be just fine..."

"Cody, I've never been on crutches before..."

Cody smiled at her. "I have. I'll show you all the tricks to using them..."

"How am I supposed to get around campus now? How am I supposed to do anything now?"

"Well, we're going to get a handicap pass so you don't have to go too far. Plus, you've got a fiance who's going to take care of everything else..."

That finally brought a smile to Bailey's face. "What would I do without you?"

"Fortunately, that's one thing you don't have to worry about..."

Bailey was about to say something, when a technician came in to put on her cast. After the cast was administered, a pair of crutches were brought in along with the form the doctor had signed. The technician warned that Bailey wasn't supposed to get her cast wet, and he suggested using trash bags and duct tape to do that.

Bailey looked up at Cody. "Trash bags and duct tape?"

Cody laughed. "Yeah, I know it sounds weird, but I'll show you how you do it..."

Bailey shrugged. "Alright..."

"You ready to go home?"

Bailey nodded. "More than...I understand why you don't like coming to the ER now..."

Cody grinned. "You get used to it...Besides...I'm looking forward to a chance to work on my beside manner..."

_To be Continued..._


	62. Taking it Easy

_Chapter 62_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody finally got Bailey home around 11:30 that morning. He got out of the SUV and took the crutches inside the apartment. Having done that, he came back out to get Bailey out of the SUV. He was just going to carry her into the house and put her back on the couch. As he was carrying her, Jo came out of her back door.

"Oh my! What happened?"

Cody turned to her. "Come on in and we'll explain everything..." Cody proceeded to carry Bailey inside and placed her on the couch. Once she was comfortable, he turned back to Jo. "Bailey fell through a step at work yesterday, and we just found out a little while ago that she has a broken ankle..."

Jo turns to Bailey. "Dear, are you okay?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah. I feel kind of stupid though..."

"Don't. It could have happened to anyone...I've certainly had my share of mishaps over the years. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Cody paused. "Actually, would you mind staying with Bailey while I go get her pain med prescription filled?"

Jo smiled. "Of course...I'm sure she might need them later on..."

Cody turned to Bailey. "Is there anything else you want me to pick up for you while I'm out?"

Bailey shook her head and smiled. "No thank you. I think we've got everything I need..."

Cody walked over and kissed Bailey's forehead. "Alright, well, I will be back as soon as I can."

Jo smiled. "Take your time. I'll make sure she's fine while you're gone."

Cody smiled. "Thanks..." And with that, Cody was out the back door again. He checked his watch. If he hurried, he might be able to take care of one more thing before he went to the pharmacy.

Back inside, Jo was sitting across from Bailey.

"Well, it seems like this could have been a lot worse..."

Bailey sighs. "Well, breaking my ankle isn't exactly ideal..."

"True, but look at the advantages you have over the average student here..."

"Yeah, like what?"

"Well, the fact that you have Cody out getting your prescription right now. And I bet he made you stay off of your feet all last night, right?"

Bailey smiled and nodded. "Yeah..."

"A lot of students here would have to be on their own figuring out how to make do. You don't have to worry about that at all..."

"I know...And I truly am grateful that I'll have Cody here to help me...but I've always been the independent type. I'm afraid I'm going to feel so helpless..."

Jo laughs. "Bailey, if I've learned one thing about you, its you're not helpless...I know for a fact that you can take care of yourself..."

Bailey sighs. "Yeah...if I had two good legs..."

Jo just shakes her head. "Bailey, you're engaged. Its okay to rely on Cody every once in a while...I don't think he'll mind..."

"I know he won't. You know...I'm being silly..."

Jo smiles. "Better. Besides, how often will you get the chance to have your guy waiting on you hand and foot in your life. Let me tell you first hand...not often..."

Bailey laughs. "Really?"

Jo laughed. "Really...Don't think of this as a bad thing. Enjoy the pampering while you can."

"Maybe you're right..."

"I am. Besides, you do need to be taking things easy. You need your rest so that your ankle can heal properly..."

"I will..." Bailey laughed. "I don't want to be the bride who hobbles down the aisle..."

Jo laughs. "See, that's another thing you should be grateful for. You have almost two years for it to heal..."

Bailey nods. "Yeah. You're right. Thanks, Jo..."

"Anytime..."

Before too much longer, Cody finally returned home with a couple of bags. Since Bailey was now in good hands, Jo headed home. She did tell them to call if they needed anything else.

Cody brought the bags into the living room.

"Cody, what all did you buy?"

Cody opened one bag. "Two different sizes of garbage bags and more duct tape. Double bagging increases the chances of keeping your cast dry..."

Bailey laughed. "Okay..."

Cody pulled out another small white paper bag. "This is your prescription. Its the same stuff they gave me in Tokyo, so I forewarn you that it will leave you a little loopy."

Bailey sighed. "Great..."

Cody smiled. "Don't worry about it. You've seen me out of my mind on them, so I don't have any room to say anything..."

Bailey smiled. "True..."

"And this is a shower seat..."

"A what?"

"A shower seat. We put it in the tub, and you sit down on it so you don't have worry about standing on one leg and potentially falling..."

"Cody...how am I supposed to that and still clean up?"

"Well, we have a hand held shower head, so that will make things easier. And will make sure your loofa, body wash and shampoo are all where you can reach them..."

Bailey sighed. "And what if I can't do it?"

Cody smiled at her. "Then all you have to do is ask, and I'll do anything you need me to do..."

Bailey nodded. "Alright..."

Cody pulls something else out of his pocket. "And I was able to stop by the campus parking office before they closed. I was able to get us a temporary handicap sticker, so you don't have far to go..."

"Cody, I appreciate that...Really, I do...But I've still never used crutches before. What if I can't figure out how to use them?"

Cody knelt down in front of her and smiled again. "Bails, if I can figure out how to get around on crutches, then I have no doubt that you will be able to...Come on, lets give them a try..."

Cody grabbed the crutches and leaned them against the wall. He turned to Bailey and helped her up on to her good leg. He still had his arm wrapped around her as his other hand grabbed the crutches. Bailey took them from him, and put them under her arms.

"Okay, what do I do first?"

"First thing, you don't want to put your weight down on your underarms. Use the handles and the muscles in your arms..."

Bailey does that.

"Alright, use the crutches to hold yourself up and swing your good leg out..."

Bailey does that as well.

"That's how you do it."

Bailey nodded and began to try to to move around the living room and get the hang of it. Finally she stops. "Cody, that's exhausting..."

Cody nodded. "It will be for a while before you get used to it..."

Bailey hobbled back over to the couch. "I think that's enough for now..."

"Want me to get your cell phone so you can call your parents and let them know what happened?"

Bailey sighs. "My parents...Yeah, I should tell them..."

Cody grabs her phone and hands it to her.

"Thanks, Cody..."

While Bailey is on the phone with her mother, Cody has slipped into the home office and come back out. He sits next to Bailey, and lifts her leg into his lap. As Bailey keeps talking to her mother, Cody pulls out the permanent marker he brought with him, and writes on her cast "Cody Loves Bailey". Bailey just smiled at him.

_To be Continued..._


	63. Deja Vu

_Chapter 63_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next few of weeks went by about as well as could be expected. Maggie had offered to come help take care of Bailey, but her daughter wouldn't allow it. Other phone calls were made to family and friends to update them on to what had happened as well. Dr. Ryan called to check on Bailey and was distraught to hear that Bailey had a broken ankle. She told Bailey not to worry about coming in, and that she was putting her on unofficial paid sick time.

Even with the handicap sticker, getting to classes wasn't easy for Bailey. It still took her quite a while to get to the various buildings. Both she and Cody were grateful that they didn't have any classes back to back. Cody even began making their lunches in the morning so they wouldn't have to deal with crowed cafeterias. Bailey was still able to do her homework, but after that, she spent most of her time on the couch. Cody wanted to call in to work himself, but Bailey wouldn't let him. He finally agreed that he would go in if Jo or Max or Tapeworm would be around to take care of her. And they would sit with Bailey when Cody needed to run to the grocery or do other errands.

Bailey herself was beginning to feel frustrated. She couldn't really do anything herself, and it seemed she was always having to rely on someone else for everything. In the past, she had prided herself on being able to take care of herself. After all, she was the one who had left the comforts of Kettlecorn to go on the adventure of a lifetime on the S.S. Tipton. But the more frustrated she got, the more helpless she felt. And she didn't like that feeling at all.

Initially, she just gave in and let Cody do everything for her. And without realizing it, she found herself being critical of the ways Cody did anything. She didn't like the way he was doing the laundry or cleaning the kitchen or making the bed. But to Cody's credit, he didn't say anything back to her. He just merely did things the way she wanted them done. On a Friday afternoon, it finally reach a boiling point.

Cody had made her lunch and brought it out to her in the living room before he was set to head to work. No one was available to sit with her, but Bailey had smirked that she would be just fine. Bailey picked up the sandwich and immediately rolled her eyes.

"Spicy Mustard? Really?"

Cody paused. "I thought that's what you said you wanted..."

"Well, I meant yellow mustard!"

Cody just nodded and took the sandwich back in the kitchen. He put that sandwich a bag, and he would take it to work himself. He then fixed Bailey a brand new sandwich and brought it back out to her.

"Here you go...Yellow mustard."

"That's better...And where's my lemonade?"

Cody quickly headed back to the kitchen and poured her a glass of lemonade and returned it back to her. "Here you go. Is there anything else you want before I leave?"

Bailey sighed. "No...I'll make do with this...Just...just go already..."

Cody bit his tongue and hung his head. He turned and left. Bailey just shook her head and picked up her laptop. Immediately, she noticed her mother was online. She began to type.

"Hey Mom..."

"_Bailey...How are you feeling? How's the ankle?"_

"The same...Mom, I feel completely useless."

"_Honey, I know this is hard on you, but you have to let yourself heal."_

Bailey sighed and typed again. "I know, I just feel like I'm going crazy."

"_I can understand that. But one thing I'm sure of is Cody is taking real good care of you..."_

"Mom, he's the one who makes me feel the most useless."

"_How so?"_

"He wants to do every little thing for me!"

It was a few minutes before Maggie responded. _"Kind of like you said you were trying to do for him when he broke his wrist?"_

"But that was different. He got hurt protecting me in Tokyo. He had nothing to do with me getting hurt!"

"_So, you fussed all over him only because you felt guilty?"_

"Of course not! I did it because I love him!"

"_So? Cody loves you too. If you fussed over him because you loved him, why isn't he allowed to fuss over you for the same reason?"_

Bailey just sat there and paused to think.

Maggie continued. _"Bailey, remember loving relationships do have their ups and downs. That's why the words 'For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health' are used in vows."_

Bailey paused again. In sickness and in health. Not the first time someone had pointed out those words to her. Bailey had a flashback.

"_I'm sick of doing everything while you sit there whining and criticizing..."_

"_I wouldn't have to criticize you if you did things right..."_

Bailey had to pause. Why did that suddenly seem so familiar?

"_Look Bailey, the whole point of this assignment was to show you guys that relationships are about compromise...Give and take...For better and for worse...In sickness and in health"_

"_I should have been a little more sympathetic to Cody..."_

"_Oh...well...Look Bailey, I have rarely seen a couple as perfectly matched as you and Cody..."_

Bailey paused again. She had blown up at Cody when she couldn't take anymore. But her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of another message.

"_Bailey, are you there?"_

Bailey quickly answered. "Yeah, I'm here. Look, Mom. I need to hobble over to the bathroom. I talk to you later."

"_Okay, Honey...Just remember what I said."_

"I will, Mom." And with that Bailey signed off.

Bailey leaned back into the pillow and began to think. It had now dawned on her how similar this situation was to their disastrous class marriage project. Only this time, it had been reversed. This time, it was Bailey who had the broken leg. She remembered Cody being whiny throughout the project and how sick of it she had gotten. Finally, she couldn't handle it any longer and let him have it.

But the thought crossed her mind. Was now any different from then? Had Cody thought she was being whiny this time? And suddenly she remembered the last stupid conversation they had had about the sandwich before he left for work. All of a sudden, she was getting a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had snapped at him for no reason. She had been doing that to him a lot lately.

If that wasn't enough to make her feel guilty, she had just blamed Cody to her mother for making her feel useless. And she knew that wasn't true. Cody treated her like a princess...like the most important person in the world. He was constantly telling her that his life was meaningless without her. He didn't make her feel useless...he made her feel special.

And that pit of regret in her stomach began to get bigger and bigger. She knew Cody was just trying to help her. And she wasn't making it easy on him in the least. Why had she done that? She began to search her mind for answers, and she didn't like the ones she found. She knew that being immobile had caused her to get more and more frustrated. And instead of dealing with her frustrations and talking to Cody about them, she had taken it out on him. He didn't deserve that at all.

He had done everything for her. He drove her to class everyday. He carried her backpack for her while she hobbled to class. Every morning, he helped her dress. Every day, he packed her a lunch. Every night, he fixed for dinner whatever she wanted. At bedtime, he always helped her change into her pajamas. And every night in bed, when she was feeling frustrated, he would just hold her in his arms. He wasn't trying to make her feel useless...he was showing her how much he loved her.

All of sudden, Bailey had the incredible urge to call Cody right then and talk to him. She had so many things she wanted to say to him. She wanted to thank him for everything he had done. But most important, she wanted to apologize to him and beg his forgiveness. He had apologized to her then, it was her turn now. Now, if she could only figure out a way to find a bunch of flowers.

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: Part 1 will wrap up with Chapter 75. Part 2 will begin right after that.**


	64. Payback

_Chapter 64_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Cody finished work a little early. Their last big project of the week was done quicker than they thought, and no one wanted to start something new on a Friday afternoon. So, Cody found himself in the SUV heading home. Normally, he couldn't wait to get back to Bailey. But that afternoon, he was grateful that he had to stop and get gas for the SUV. He needed the time to prepare himself for the potential onslaught he would face back at home. As much as he could, he didn't blame Bailey. He had broken his leg before when he was younger and remembered how frustrating it had been. He knew what Bailey must be feeling, and that's why he never said anything.

Finally pulling in behind their apartment, Cody got out of the SUV and headed in the back door. Immediately, a pleasant aroma was detected. He looked around, and there was Bailey sitting at the kitchen table frosting some cupcakes. She looked up and saw him.

"Oh no!...I was hoping to finish these before you got home..."

Cody looked confused. "Why would you want them finished before I got home?"

Bailey sighed. "Because I couldn't find any flowers..."

Now, Cody was really confused. "Huh?"

Bailey patted the chair next to her, inviting him to sit down. He wordlessly complied.

"I was making these for you to show you how sorry I am..."

"Sorry for what?"

Bailey just looked at him. "Come on, Cody...you know as well as I do that these past couple of weeks that I've been a complete...well, a complete bitch..."

"Bails..."

"No. I've treated you horribly, and there is absolutely no excuse for that. I'm ashamed of how I behaved. I would hope I wouldn't treat my worst enemy like that let alone the man I love and want to spend my life with."

Inwardly, Cody sighed in relief. "Bails, its okay..."

Bailey shook her head. "No, its not. Cody, I am so so sorry. I will get down on my knees and beg your forgiveness if that is what it will take..."

Cody smiled. "You don't have to do that. I don't think you have anything to be sorry for, but if it makes you feel better, I forgive you, Sweetie..."

Bailey smiled. "Thank you, Codykins. Its just these past couple of weeks, I've felt so...so..."

"Frustrated? Useless?"

"Exactly!"

"Sweetheart, the reason I was able to show you how to use your crutches is because I've had to use them before myself. I've broken my leg before too. I remember how I felt..."

"Cody, I'm not used to having someone do every single thing for me..."

"I know. But, I had to do as much for you as I could. It was my payback from karma..."

"Payback for what?"

Cody grinned. "Our marriage assignment...It was my payback for taking it way too seriously and being too whiny..."

Bailey paused. "No, this was my payback for that...I thought you were taking it way too seriously too, and I now can see you were just trying to make it realistic. If you hadn't tried to make realistic, we would have missed the point of the assignment. I thought you just really enjoyed me taking care of you..."

Cody smiled. "I did..."

Bailey smiled back at him. "But I've felt so helpless with only one broken ankle. But I can still get around on my crutches. I can't imagine if I had both broken. I'm pretty sure I would have felt completely useless. Knowing what I know now, I've learned my lesson..."

Cody takes her hand in his. "Bails, no matter what, you will never be useless. You are still my...raison d'etre..."

"And you are mine. Cody, I promise you. If I feel frustrated from now on, I'll talk to you about it, and I won't take it out on you anymore..."

"Bails, you just tell me what I can do to help, and I will..."

Bailey leaned in and kissed him. "I will. Would it be okay if we try a new policy around here?"

"Sure."

"From now on, we let Bailey do what she can, and in return, Bailey promises Cody she will ask him for his help when she needs it..."

Cody grinned. "I think Cody can go along with that."

Bailey smiled. "I think we learned that we both can be...not the best of patients..."

"True..But if I'm sick, there is no one I would trust to take care of me more than you..."

"Same here. Once it dawned on me how I had been behaving, I felt so guilty. I was fully prepared to beg you to forgive me and to still marry me..."

"Nothing will stop me from doing that..."

Bailey sighed. "I guess having to put up with me the past weeks has probably soured you on thinking about being a doctor, huh?"

Cody smiled. "Not at all. In fact, it may have given me the nudge to choose that path..."

"Really?"

Cody teased her. "Of course...If I could put up with you, anyone else would be a piece of cake..."

"Cody!"

"I'm kidding, Bails...Actually, to be honest, when we were in the ER, I was completely fascinated. I guess when I'm not there for my own injuries, I'm able to observe. I really think it something I would love doing..."

Bailey smiled. "Well, you have my full support. I've learned first hand how compassionate and patient of a caregiver you can be. And when we have kids, it would be nice to have a doctor around. And when I got injured, you immediately took action and knew what to do. I think you'd be a great doctor..."

"Thanks, Bails. That means a lot coming from you..."

"I was also thinking about something Jo told me..."

"What's that?"

"She told me to think about how I would handle this if I was on my own without you..." Bailey shuddered. "I honestly don't think I would have been able to handle it..."

Cody smiled. "You would have. You're tough and strong and resourceful. You would have figured out something."

"I'm just glad I didn't have too...And Cody, again, I'm really sorry. I know I'm lucky to have you helping me, and I took it for granted..." Bailey paused and smiled. "I hope you know I would hobble to the ends of the Earth to make you happy..."

"I know, but I much prefer to keep you right here with me..." He leans in and they share tight embrace. "You know, you do have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, but what do you want to do tonight?"

Bailey laughed. "We could hang out on the couch...or we could hang out on the bed..." Bailey paused. "Speaking of the bed, you've held me close every night, but you haven't tried anything else..."

"Bails, I worry enough that I will accidentally kick your ankle when I get in bed...who knows what could happen if we...lost control..."

Bailey grinned. "Maybe later we can see if we can find something safe...We do have an entire book after all to get ideas from..."

Cody grinned rights back. "That is true...Tell you what, why don't we order in some take out, bunker down on the couch and watch a movie or two and see what we can find later..."

"Sounds perfect to me..."

Cody stands up and takes a step towards Bailey to help her up when he stops. Bailey noticed that he stopped and smiled at him. "Thanks...I know I can do this..."

"I know you can too. Just tell me if I can do anything..."

Bailey managed to get up on her good leg with her other leg propped up on the chair. She began to look around for her crutches. "Ummm...Cody..."

Cody steps behind her and picks up her crutches where they had fallen to the floor. "Looking for these?"

"Yeah..." Cody held them out for her and she took them and began to hobble into the living room.

"Bails...How were you able to get the cupcakes in and out of the oven with the pan in one hand and having to open the oven door?"

Bailey laughed. "You don't want to know..."

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: Soon, you will see a new fanfic coauthored by myself and Creddie Cailey. I'm currently working on chapter 1 and will post it once we feel its ready. **_  
_


	65. Cast Away

_Chapter 65_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next morning, Cody drove he and Bailey over to Student Health for Bailey's appointment with the orthopedist. After waiting for a little over twenty minutes, Bailey was finally called back. Again, she was in an exam room when the doctor finally came in. The first thing the doctor noticed was Bailey's cast. Beyond the "Cody Loves Bailey" that Cody had written, Bailey had added numerous ""Bailey Loves Cody too"'s.

"Nice cast..."

Bailey smiled. "As much as I like what it says, it won't hurt my feelings to have it off..."

The doctor laughed. "Alright, well, we'll see what we can do. Lets get you in for another x-ray and see how the bone is healing..."

After another x-ray was done, Bailey was again waiting in the exam room with Cody. She was anxious and hopeful that her ankle had healed enough to move on to a walking cast. Finally, the doctor came into the exam room.

"Well, do you want the good news or the bad news?"

Bailey sighed. "Give me the good news..."

"The bone is healing perfectly..."

Bailey sighed, this time in relief. "What's the bad news then?"

The doctor smiled. "We're going to have to cut off your lovely cast..."

Bailey was excited. "Yeah?"

"Well, I think you are ready to move to a walking boot. It will still keep your ankle stable, but it will let you be able to put weight on your right foot."

"Fine with me!"

The doctor proceeded to cut the cast off, but like Cody did, she asked if she could keep it. The doctor just shrugged and said okay. The doctor then left to get the walking boot. As they waited, Cody stood up.

"How does it look?"

Bailey finally looked down and got a good look at her leg. Her leg was noticeably paler from not being exposed to air and sun for three weeks. And to Bailey's horror, it now dawned on her that she hadn't been able to shave that leg for three weeks. Beyond that, it felt dirty as she hadn't been able to wash it for the same time period.

"Cody, don't look!"

Cody looked confused. "Why not?"

"Because it looks hideous!"

Cody smiled. "It can't look any worse than my arm did when the cast came off of it..."

"But Cody...Please wait to look at it until I've had a chance to wash it and shave my leg..."

"Bails, I thought there was no modesty between us anymore..."

Bailey sighed. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you..."

Cody stepped over to get a good look at it and nodded.

"Its that bad, isn't it?"

Cody shook his head. "It looks exactly like I thought it would..." Cody turns and looks around and walks over to the sink in the room. He wets and soaps up some paper towels, and brings them back over to Bailey. Kneeling down, he begins to wipe off Bailey's leg and foot.

"Is that at least a little better?"

Bailey smiled. "Thank you, Codykins..."

"Remember, I've been here myself. I remember how funky my arm felt when the cast came off. And I had it on for like three months, not three weeks..."

"I can't imagine how disgusting it would feel if it had been on for three months. I don't see how Max's old roommate lived like this..."

Cody smiled at her. "Well, if it makes you feel better, they're still the sexiest pair of legs I've ever seen..."

Bailey blushed. "I appreciate that..."

The doctor finally returned with the walking boot in hand. He fitted it on Bailey's leg and made sure it was on tight.

"How does that feel?"

"A little snug."

"It's suppose to be. Alright, I want you to wear this at least 23 hours a day. Preferably, the only time I want you to take it off is when you shower. Your ankle still needs to heal, and this will take it the rest of the way..."

Bailey nods. "But I can walk on it again?"

"Yeah, still use your crutches at first so you can get used to having it on. The weight of it will take you some time to adjust too..."

"How long will I need this?"

The doctor paused. "Two months at least..."

Bailey sighed. "So, I'll still have it for Thanksgiving and Christmas..."

Cody took her hand. "Think of it this way. You may have it this year, but next Thanksgiving and Christmas, you'll be walking around like nothing happened..."

Bailey nodded. "Okay..."

The doctor nodded. "He's right. Alright, its late October now, I want you to come back for a check up right before Thanksgiving..."

Cody and the doctor helped her up to her feet and helped steady her as she got used to standing in the walking boot.

"How does that feel?"

"Weird...and my right foot also feels very weak..."

"Well, it hasn't been used in almost a month. The boot will help build back up the strength in it. That's why you might still need your crutches for a while. And unfortunately, while the cast is off, still no more driving for you..."

Bailey sighed. "Why not?"

"Because its your right foot aka the pedal foot. The boot is very heavy, and would make it difficult to use the pedals properly..."

Cody rubbed her back. "Its okay, Bails. I have no problem being your chauffeur..."

"Okay...But I will want the driver's seat back once I'm able to..."

Cody smiled. "Of course..."

Bailey was able to use her crutches and walk slowly down the hall back to the front desk. As happy as she was to be back walking on both legs, the boot was very heavy and cumbersome. So, when Cody volunteered to go pull the car around, she had no objections. When they got back home, they saw Jo outside and she congratulated Bailey on the new walking boot.

Once back inside, Bailey wanted to immediately go scrub and shave her leg. Cody said he would fix them a sandwich while she did. As Bailey was hobbling towards the bathroom, Cody decided to tease her.

"You want spicy or yellow mustard?"

Bailey stopped, turned around and smiled. "Either one would be fine."

"Can I quote you on that?" Cody winked at her.

Bailey laughed. "Yes, you can..."

"I'm just messing with you, Sweetie..."

"I know, but its completely deserved. Cody, I know I said it yesterday, but I am so sorry. I promise nothing like that will ever happen again."

"Bails, its okay. If you can't vent to me, who can you vent to? I don't take it personally."

Bailey smiled at him. "I know. That's why your not only my fiance and my lover, you're my best friend..."

Cody smiled at her. "Right back at ya..."

_To be Continued..._


	66. God Bless Us Everyone

_Chapter 66_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The rest of the weekend was spent in one of three ways. First and foremost, they got Bailey used to walking in the walking boot. At first, she still used the crutches to keep her balance, but as time went by, she became more and more at ease without them. By Sunday night, she was able to get around on her own. The walking boot still tired her out fast, but nowhere near as much as the crutches did.

Second, they kept up with their homework and studies. Both knew the second round of exams were coming up soon. Even though Bailey had been immobile, she had dutifully kept up with her reading and homework. So, she didn't have to play catch up. And now she was actually able to walk to class. Still, they used the handicap parking pass as Bailey did get worn out from the walking boot. On trips to the grocery, Bailey actually went with Cody again.

Third, they knew they only had a month or so before the GRE and MCAT. They had worked out a schedule there too. They would study and prepare for them on Sunday and Thursday night and take practice tests on Saturdays. They didn't want to take time away from their other studies, but wanted to keep everything fresh in their minds.

The second round of exams came and went. And again, both felt great about how they did on them. To the outside observer, it may sound strange that they always felt well about their exams. But this was Cody and Bailey we're talking about and they both put in the work reading and studying. They were never unprepared for a class or an exam.

Of course, late October brought something that they had been unprepared for the previous year – Halloween. The year before, they had been home watching a film marathon of classic horror movies when their doorbell had rang. Not putting two and two together, they were both surprised when they saw kids on their front porch in costumes. After realizing they had trick or treaters, they began to try to figure out something. They didn't have any candy in the house, and the kids looked a little upset to get granola bars. Once they had left, Cody and Bailey immediately turned their front porch light off. The next morning, they were cleaning eggs off of their front door.

But this year, they were prepared. They had bought a couple bags of candy. Bailey had to convince Cody to get real candy and not the sugar free variety. So, when the first trick or treater showed up, there was candy waiting on them. By the end of the night, they still had a lot of candy left over. Since neither really wanted it, they decided to save it and give to Zack. Cody had never been real big on sweets (that he didn't make himself), and Bailey was worried about eating it all when she couldn't burn it off by running. Cody tried to tell her to have at it, but she refused.

Speaking of Zack, he had invited them up to his fraternities Halloween party that weekend. Cody left the decision up to Bailey as she knew better if she would be up for it. Bailey decided that after being home bound for almost a month, she was ready to get out. So, all they had to do was come up with costumes. Bailey was especially concerned though because she thought her walking boot would ruin any costume she could think of.

Cody just smiled at her. "What if I said I had an idea..."

Bailey just looked at him. "Yeah, what?"

Cody leaned in and whispered in Bailey's ear his idea. "What do you think?"

Bailey couldn't help but laugh. "Its creative, I'll give you that..."

"Trying to tell me to keep thinking?"

Bailey paused. "Not at all. I actually like it. Its much better than the doctor and ski accident victim I had come up with..."

That Saturday, Cody and Bailey drove up to Storrs with Max and Tapeworm who Zack had invited as well. Max and Tapeworm were dressed as two vampires, and both had great costumes. Once they arrived at the venue, they walked in and paid their cover charge. Immediately, Zack and Cassie came over to them.

Cody grinned. "Nice costume, Zack..."

Zack sighed. "Not my idea. Cassie wanted to come as Robin Hood and Maid Marion..."

Cody laughed. "Well, the tights are definitely you..."

"Hey! What are you supposed to be anyways?"

Cody smiled. "I'm Ebeneezer Scrooge..."

Bailey spoke up. "Brilliant, right?"

Cassie looked at her. "And who are you supposed to be?"

Bailey grinned. "I'm Tiny Tim..."

Zack and Cassie just looked at each other.

"Hey! You try thinking of a costume when you have a walking boot on one foot!"

Cassie nodded. "That's true. So, how is it going?"

Bailey smiled. "Better. I'm grateful I can actually walk again. When I was in the cast, I felt completely helpless. I had to rely on Cody to do almost everything for me..."

Zack paused. "That sounds exactly like when Cody broke his leg, and I had to do everything for him..."

Cody smirked. "Don't you mean when _you_ broke my leg when you landed on me?"

"Dude...Something had to break my fall..."

"Yeah...me."

"Hey...Who was the one who had to get you something whenever you wanted it?"

"Because Mom made you..."

Zack just shook his head. "That was the worst summer of my life..."

Cassie just rolled her eyes and laughed. "Something tells me Cody's summer was worse..."

Cody grinned. "Well...Maybe a little...Having Zack at my beck and call was rather fun..."

The Halloween party was a lot of fun. Bailey wasn't sure she should be up dancing, but Cody convinced her that few slow songs would be alright. Since UCONN had a zero tolerance policy, alcohol was not officially permitted. But, there were several people who made numerous trips out to their cars. About 11:00, Bailey found herself getting tired, but she didn't want to put a damper on the evening. But, she couldn't slip one yawn past Cody.

"Getting tired?"

"A little bit..."

Cody nodded. "Alright, well, I'll go find Max and Tapeworm..."

"Cody, don't...its okay..."

"Bails, its 11:00 which means it it will be after midnight when we get home. The doctor said you need to keep getting your rest..."

Bailey sighed. "I know, I just don't want to be the party pooper..."

Cody smiled. "Its okay. They both knew we might want to leave early anyways..."

Cody did gather Max and Tapeworm up, and Zack, Cassie, Addison and Woody all walked them out.

"Thanks for coming up guys. Hope you had fun."

Bailey smiled. "We did. I wish we could stay longer..."

Cassie smiled back. "No worries...I know that thing has to wear you out..."

Zack grinned. "That wasn't very nice calling Cody a 'thing'..."

Cassie gave him a look before turning back to her cousin. "Are we going to meet again the Sunday before Thanksgiving to head back again?"

Bailey shook her head. "Actually, we were planning on heading back to Boston on Saturday morning. We have the GRE and MCAT on Wednesday. We wanted to have all Saturday afternoon, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday to do our last minute studying..."

Cassie nodded. "That makes sense. I'll have to check the football schedule to see if we have a home game on Saturday or not..."

Like Cody had said, it was after midnight by the time they got home. Since Bailey was tired, she went on to bed, but Cody had to take care of a suddenly awake Porkers. After that, Cody seemed to catch a second wind, and he went into the home office so he wouldn't wake Bailey. They had a group project for American Economic History due right before Thanksgiving, so he thought he would knock out some research for it while he was awake.

Before long, Cody was finding more and more of the information he needed and didn't realize it was getting close to three in the morning. He was so focused he was in a zone. Even Porkers snoring in his bed five feet away wasn't distracting him. But one word did.

"Cody?"

Cody looked up and saw a very tired Bailey. "What are you doing up, Sweetie?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing..."

Cody shrugged. "I caught a second wind, so I figured I'd be productive...I've got a lot of information for our project..."

Bailey smiled. "That's nice. But its time for bed..."

Cody smiled back. "Okay...I was just trying to get as much done so we would have more time for test preparation..."

"I know...and I appreciate it. But I need you there lying next to me or I can't sleep..."

Cody grinned. "Right behind you then..."

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: Okay, I have to admit, I know exactly what Bailey's going through as it wasn't long ago that I had a severe high ankle sprain. The treatments are the same I'm told, and I guy verify first hand that walking boots suck. Anyways, I was told I would have been better off with a broken bone, so I went easy on Bailey.**

**On a side note, I'm planning on letting the readers have a say in the story again. This time, I'm going to let you the readers of my story choose where Cody and Bailey go to grad school. The three options I'm looking at are Penn in Philadelphia, PA; Colgate in Ithaca, NY; and Tufts in Boston, MA. If you are wondering why I didn't consider Yale or Harvard, neither has a vet school. As I mentioned, Tufts is the only vet school in New England. So, send me PMs if you want to vote as I want to keep the final result a secret until I announce it.  
**


	67. A New Coral Reef

_Chapter 67_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

With only three weeks before Thanksgiving break, Cody and Bailey had a lot to do. Cody's research went a long way towards helping them complete their group project. They both decided to get it done and out of the way so that they would have even more time to study for their admissions tests. By the end of the week after Halloween, it was done to both of their satisfaction. The professor was surprised and pleased when they asked if they could turn it in early.

Also, Bailey decided that since she was mobile again, she was ready to return back to work. That Thursday when Cody dropped her off, both couldn't help but notice that the wooden steps were gone and new concrete ones were in their place. Walking back into the animal hospital, Bailey was warmly greeted by humans and animals alike. Especially Dr. Ryan who still felt very guilty.

"Bailey, I am so so sorry about what happened..."

Bailey smiled. "Its okay. No permanent damage done, and I should be back to normal in no time..."

"If there is anything I can do to make up for this, just let me know..."

Bailey paused. "Well, the books say I need a letter of recommendation from a vet to include in my application. If you will write me one, we'll call it even..."

Dr. Ryan smiled. "You were already going to get one of those. But I'll make sure you're recommendation letters are first rate. I know a few of your professors, and I know they agree with my assessments."

"Thank you..."

"Now, there have been several around here who have missed you and would love to see you again..."

"Yeah?"

"You remember Mitsy?"

"Of course...Has she given birth yet?"

Dr. Ryan smiled. "She sure did. She had two pups...as different as night and day. One is very inquisitive and friendly, and the other likes to eat and sleep a lot..."

Bailey laughed. "If you don't have names for them yet, I know just the perfect ones..."

The rest of the time before the Thanksgiving holiday was just spent doing their normal routine with the addition of more extensive prepping for the GRE and MCAT. By the time the Friday before Thanksgiving arrived, both were getting a little sick of looking at the material. But both knew in a few days, it would all be over. The only real break they had gotten was Bailey's appointment with the orthopedist. After a quick checkup, Bailey's ankle was healing just fine, and she found out she should be out of the walking boot after the first of the year. Of course, the doctor did say she would have to do some physical therapy. With that done, they decided to call it a night early and go out and do something.

"You know, Codykins...the new Twilight movie came out today..."

Cody groans. "Really?"

Bailey grins. "Uh huh..."

Cody sighs. "Fine..."

"I was kidding. I know you don't care for them..."

"But you do...And I know you want to see it."

"While that's true, I know us going out tonight is supposed to be a reprieve for the both of us..."

"Bails, really, I don't mind..."

"But I do...I know how hard we've both worked the past few weeks. We both deserve to have a little fun tonight. So, we're going to do something we both want to do..." Bailey grins. "Besides, I already told Cassie we'd drag you and Zack both to see it next week in Boston..."

Cody laughed. "Alright. But don't be surprised if Zack and I get our payback at some point..."

Bailey shrugged. "We'll see..."

They ended up going out and seeing another movie. It was the weekend before Thanksgiving after all, and several studious bring out their big films at that time. After a movie, they stopped for a late dinner before heading home. It wasn't until they got home that they realized they both had missed calls on their cell phones. Seems they had both put their cells on silent during the movie and forgot to turn the ringers back on. Zack and Cassie had called saying they were wanting to head back to Boston the next morning early too. That way, they could be at the Tipton to catch the UCONN kickoff at noon on TV. Cody called Zack back, and they agreed to meet at the same rest area at 9:00 AM.

With that settled, Cody and Bailey went ahead and packed their bags along with their study aids before they went to bed. The next morning, all they had to do was put their bags and Porkers in the car, and off they went. And a little before nine, they were in the rest area when Zack and Cassie pulled in.

"You guys ready to head out?"

Zack turned to his brother. "Yeah, as soon as we put our bags in your SUV..."

Cody just looked at his brother. "Huh?"

"Dude...You have the handicap pass which means you will be parked right next to the elevator which means we don't have to carry them as far..."

Cody rolled his eyes. "Fine..."

After the bags were moved, they were all on their way. They would have switched up again, but Bailey wasn't able to drive still and Zack refused to ride with Cody. He remembered how slowly he drove from when their Dad got them the small electric car on the ship. Cody and Zack both had to pause and remember the unfortunate accident that car had endured. Cody just hoped that somewhere in Atlantic Ocean, it was becoming the foundation for a new coral reef.

About an hour and a half later, they all pulled into the Tipton underground garage. Zack had been right, and Cody and Bailey found a spot right next to the elevator. Soon enough, they were all in the elevator up to the lobby. They stopped by the front desk to get the keys to their suite and were about to turn around to head up when they almost literally ran right into a couple.

"I see you two still enjoy causing havoc in the lobby..."

Cody and Zack both look at each other and then back at the man they had almost run over. "Moseby!"

Yes, there was Moseby along with Tutweiler.

"You two unleashed the Hooliganettes on me and now you try to run me over..."

It was then that Tut noticed Bailey's walking boot. "Oh my gosh! What happened to you leg?"

Bailey smiled. "I had a little accident and broke my ankle..."

Moseby turned to the twins. "Well, which one you was responsible for that?"

Bailey laughed. "Neither, Mr. Moseby. A wooden step I was stepping down on gave away and I fell. Actually, Cody is the one who took care of me afterwards..."

Zack smirked back at Moseby. "See? Not everything is my fault!"

"This time..."

Cody tried to change the subject. "So, what brings you two back to the Tipton?"

Tut smiled. "The ship is docked in Boston for the week, and we're staying here a few days to spend time with Marion's mother and brother..."

Bailey smiled. "Well, from my personal experience, my fiance's mother has been great. On the other hand, his brother can be a pain in the..."

"Hey!"

Cody, Bailey and Cassie all laugh at Zack's outburst.

Bailey finishes. "Anyways, but its not that bad...I mean, Mr. Moseby survived meeting your aunt and uncle..."

Tut laughed. "True. Speaking of which, they sent me a picture of a snowman you two built during the blizzard..."

Moseby rolled his eyes. "Yes. I appreciated that..."

Zack turns to Moseby. "So, how are you enjoying having Katie and Zoey around?"

"It feels like deja vu..."

Tut nodded. "He's right. Its actually kind of weird..."

"Why is that?"

"Its like having you both back there...except its two girls..."

Zack smirked. "So, its just like having Cody back all over again?"

Moseby rolled his eyes again. "No. Zoey works at the smoothie bar and really enjoys having fun and flirting. Katie, on the other hand, is one of the best students in the freshman class..."

Tut nods. "And that's not even the strangest thing..."

Cassie laughs. "What could be more strange than that?"

"Both of the new twins have admirers. Seems there are also two first cousins in the freshmen class from Nebraska. Chas and Billy...Chas likes to goof off and pull pranks and has gained Zoey as a partner in crime. Billy, on the other hand, is the other top student in the class. And from everything we can see, he is quite taken with Katie..."

Cassie, Zack, Cody and Bailey just look at each other and begin to laugh.

Zack shakes his head. "I like the sound of this Chas guy already..."

Bailey turns to Cody and smiles. "Sounds like you and I may want to sit down and have a little chat with your cousin, Katie..."

_To be Continued..._


	68. Test Time

_Chapter 68_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

After saying goodbye to Moseby and Tut, the four headed up to their usual suite and dropped off their bags and let Porkers out of his travel carrier. Once he was leashed, they headed to the 23rd floor and on to Carey's suite. It turned out that with the boat docked in Boston, Ellie, Mitch, Amy, and Michelle had all already flown in to meet up with the twins. So, as soon as the four entered the suite they were welcomed with hugs and handshakes.

Immediately, everyone wanted to know how Bailey's ankle was doing, and she told them the doctor said it was healing just fine. Ellie and Carey wanted to know if Cody had taken good care of her, and Bailey smiled as she replied that he had done a wonderful job. Especially excited to see the four teens were Katie and Zoey. They enjoyed visiting the family, but both were ready for interactions with people closer to their own age. Katie specifically wanted to hang out more with Cody and Bailey and hear about how Yale was going. She was disappointed to hear that they would be spending the next several days studying for the GRE and MCAT, but she completely understood. Bailey did offer for them to join the four when they went and saw the new Twilight movie on Wednesday night. They both agreed, and both laughed at Zack's outburst when he found out that he was going to have to see the movie.

Cody and Bailey apologized to everyone, but they had to get back to studying. Everyone understood and wished them luck. Zack and Cassie offered the other twins to come back to their suite and watch the UCONN-Cincinnati game. Both readily agreed and they are off to watch it. If UCONN won the game, they will finish second in the Big East (not a particularly big accomplishment), and head to the Champs Sports Bowl.

Meanwhile, Esteban had hooked up Cody and Bailey with a small conference room so nobody could bother them. They spent the rest of the afternoon and evening prepping and doing practice tests. In fact, that's how they spent all day Sunday, Monday and Tuesday as well. They took breaks to eat, sleep and go to the bathroom, but that was about it. Beyond that, they both had a singular focus.

So, on Wednesday morning, they were both awake early, and both were showered and dressed in some of their most comfortable clothes. The night before they had gathered paper, pencils, calculators and everything else they were allowed to take into the tests with them. They both grabbed a couple of bananas and headed out. Once they got to the testing center, they were each pointed to the appropriate rooms. Giving each other a kiss for good luck, they both went their separate directions.

Cody was given five hours to complete the MCAT. It was divided into four sections – Physical Sciences, Verbal Reasoning, Writing Sample and Biological Sciences. After each section, a ten minute break was given to compose yourself before the next section. As he was taking the exam, Cody was grateful for all the practice and prep work he had done. To be sure, the questions weren't easy, but the sample tests had prepared him for that. There wasn't a single question that he didn't have at least an inkling of what he was talking about, but he knew that might not mean anything. When he was finally finished, he just sat there for a moment. He felt battered, bruised, exhausted...and had no idea how he had done.

Bailey was given four hours to complete the GRE. It was comprised of a Verbal Section, a Quantitative Section, and an Analytical Writing Section. In the Analytical Writing Section, she was given two essays to write. The first was an Issue Task where she had to choose between two topics on which to write an essay. The second was an Argument Task where she was given an argument and had to write an essay critiquing it and make suggestions about how to improve it. Finally, there was an experimental section. It would be similar to one of the other sections, but it would contain questions considered for future use and would not count. Unfortunately, there was no way to no which section this was. Bailey was glad she had prepared for it so extensively, but like Cody, when it was over, she felt tired and had no clue how she had done.

Since Bailey was done first, she walked around and waited on Cody. After using the bathroom, she happened to look inside a room and saw Cody working away at the MCAT. She had to smile seeing him so deep in concentration. Fearing she might distract him if he saw her, she returned to the lobby and sat in the waiting room reading the morning newspaper. After the longest time, she looked up and saw Cody walking towards her. She immediately got up and walked over to him. Not saying a word to each other, they just pulled each other into a hug. After several moments of just relaxing in each other's arms and drawing comfort from the other, they pulled apart.

Cody smiled weakly. "Well...Those are over now..."

Bailey smiled back at him. "I know...How do you think you did?"

Cody shrugged his shoulders. "I've never walked out of a test before with less of an idea of how I did..."

Bailey nodded. "Same here..."

Cody chuckled. "If I don't get into med school, the way I feel now, they can have my body for research..."

"Is there space for one more next to you?"

"Always...How does going back to the hotel and taking a nap sound?"

"Right now?...like heaven..."

And that's just what they did. Cody and Bailey drove back to the hotel and headed straight up to their room. As they walked in, they noticed Zack, Cassie, Katie and Zoey watching TV, but neither said a word as they immediately went into their bedroom. Zack and Cassie looked at each other concerned, and both got up to check on them. They gently knocked on the bedroom door and opened it after getting no response. Both had to laugh at the sight before them. Cody and Bailey were still in their clothes cuddled together on the bed fast asleep.

Several hours later, both woke up feeling more rested. They were still a little tired, but both knew they had the rest of the week to take it easy. They checked the rest of the suite and found it empty. They were about to go down to Carey's suite, but both realized their clothes were all wrinkled from their nap. After a refreshing shower and change of clothes, they headed for the 23rd floor. There, they found everyone else. Immediately, everyone wanted to know how the tests went.

Carey smiled at them. "Zack and Cassie said you both came back and immediate passed out. Were they that rough?"

Cody and Bailey both nodded. "Yeah. They were brutal. And neither of us have any idea about how well we did..."

Carey nodded. "Since they were on a computer, shouldn't you know fairly quickly how you did?"

Bailey shrugged. "Probably, but we both had areas that required us to give typed out responses. Those will take longer than the multiple choice to grade..."

"Well, I know you two have been busy the past several days, so we've already got tomorrow taken care of. You two just keep resting up. You'll need it for finals when you get back."

So, with that taken care of, Cody, Bailey, Cassie, Zack, Zoey and Katie all went out for dinner and the movie that night. The girls loved the movie while the guys suffered through it for the sake of their ladies. Cody was tempted to try to sleep through it as he thought he had a pretty good excuse, but Zack made it clear that if he had to stay awake for it, then so did Cody.

After the movie, Cody and Bailey wanted to stop for ice cream, and Katie asked if she could come with them. They agreed, and soon the three were sitting around a table at an ice cream parlor not far from the Tipton. Bailey, remembering what Tut had said, decided to see what she could find out from Katie.

"So, how are you liking Seven Seas High so far?"

Katie smiled. "I love it. So far, we've been to London, Barcelona and Casablanca..."

"Good. And how are your teachers?"

"I really like Miss Tutweiler. She's a great teacher..."

Cody and Bailey just look at each other and smile.

"What?"

Cody turned to his cousin. "Does she talk about her personal life?"

Katie shakes her head. "Not at all. I mean everyone knows she is dating Moseby, but she doesn't share anything..."

This time Cody and Bailey begin to laugh. "You guys are lucky then. Until our senior year, Tut was always lamenting about her lack of a love life. It was rather comical. Of course, we discovered she and Moseby were an item when we returned our last year..."

Katie shrugged. "Nothing like that now..."

Bailey smiled. "Well, we know you like the ports of call and your classes, but how is romance going on deck?"

Katie sighed. "It isn't..."

"And why is that? No one who catches your fancy?"

"Well, there is this one guy. And I think he likes me, but he won't do anything about it..."

Bailey turns and glares at Cody. "I know that feeling..."

Cody put up his hands in defense. "Hey! I had my plan...I know now it was stupid, but maybe this guy does too?"

"So, what should I do about it then?"

Bailey turned to Katie. "What's this guy's name?"

"Billy..."

"Do you like Billy?"

Katie nods. "Yeah. He's smart, sweet, sensitive..."

Bailey smiled. "Trust me, those are the best kind...but sometimes they need a little push to get them going..."

"So, what do I do?"

Bailey grinned. "Take matters into your own hands. Tell him how you feel..."

"And what if it backfires on me?"

Bailey and Cody smiled at each other. "Something tells us it won't..."

_To be Continued..._

**Author's Note: Congrats to the University of Kentucky Wildcats for beating the dirty birds today.**_  
_


	69. Back on Deck

_Chapter 69_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next day was Thanksgiving. And as Carey and Ellie had said, they were taking care of all the preparations for the meal. So, Cody and Bailey having nothing else to do, joined Zack and Cassie watching football that day. Both couldn't help but be amused by Zack's rants and pleas of help to his fantasy football players.

"Come on, Romo! Throw a touchdown for the love of God!"

Cody chuckled. "You know, Zack...I don't think he can hear you..."

Zack glared back at his brother. "I know that. Besides, that was Miles Austin's fault. He should have known better than to date a Kardashian!"

Cody just shook his head. "So, who are you 'playing' this week?"

"Woody...If I don't beat him, I'll never hear the end of it..."

"Awwww...I think it'll be alright."

Zack laughed. "What would you know? We invited you to join, but you turned his down..."

"Yeah, I was a little busy then doing something called being a college student..."

"Uh huh...You just didn't want to lose to me again..."

Cody nodded. "Yeah, Zack, you got me. Studying for classes and prepping for the MCAT were nothing, and my biggest fear was you beating me in fantasy football..."

"Then prove it..."

"Ummm...Last time I checked, your season had already started..."

"Not this year...Next year. I dare you to join our league!"

Cody sighed. "Alright...fine. When do you draft again?"

"Late August..."

Cody paused. "I don't know if I can. We may be dealing with applications to grad schools..."

Zack smirked. "I knew you were chicken..."

Cody glared at his brother. "You know...Consider me in!"

Cassie and Bailey just look at the twins and shake their heads. Before they could say something, Katie and Zoey arrived to let everyone know that Thanksgiving dinner was ready. Everyone got up and returned to Carey's suite. Everyone filled their plates and began to eat. From the get go, it was obvious which dishes Carey had made and which dishes someone else had made. But the boys knew better than to give any indication that they could tell a difference. After dinner was over, everyone sat around, digested the food they ate and watched more football.

The next couple of days were just spent relaxing and having fun. Ellie, Mitch, Amy and Michelle were planning on flying back to Seattle on Sunday afternoon after dropping the twins back off at the boat. Cody, Bailey, Cassie and Zack were going to head back early Sunday too, but all four jumped at the chance to see the S.S. Tipton again.

So, on Sunday, they hugged Carey and Arwin goodbye as they were planning on heading back to Connecticut from the boat. They agreed to drop the twins off on the boat and then everyone else off at the airport on their way back. Soon, they arrived close to the docks, and once again, Cody and Bailey took advantage of their handicap pass. They had Amy, Mitch and Ellie with them so they wouldn't have far to walk either. Porkers was leashed and ready to go once Zack, Cassie, Michelle and the twins caught up to them.

Walking up the gangplank to the S.S. Tipton was like walking back in time. Suddenly, the four of them were flooded with memories of their own time there. They helped Katie and Zoey take their things back to their cabins. Like Zack and Cody, they had been separated into two different rooms too. And as luck would have it, Katie's cabin was Bailey and London's old cabin. As Katie began to put her things away, Cody and Bailey just looked at each other and smiled. Katie couldn't help but notice.

"What are you two smiling about?"

Bailey turned to her. "This used to be my old cabin my sophomore and junior years. We have a lot of good memories in here..."

"Yeah, like what?"

Bailey smiled. "This was where we first told each other that we loved each other..."

Cody smiled and nodded. "Its also where we first slept together..."

Katie's eyes bulge out and Cody and Bailey laugh. "What Cody means is that this is where we literally first fell asleep next to each other..."

"That's good. I was about to say too much information..."

At that time, there was a knock at the door and it opened.

"Katie, I was just checking to see...Cody! Bailey!"

Cody smiled. "Kirby! Nice to see you again."

Kirby looked confused. "What are you two doing here?"

Bailey laughed. "Kirby, Katie and Zoey are cousins of Cody and Zack..."

"Cousins? Now why didn't I see that?"

Cody laughed. "Its okay. Just make sure you keep them out of trouble like you did all of us..."

"Uh uh...You guys ran me ragged..." He turns to Katie. "I once caught these two making out behind the smoothie bar!"

Katie laughs. "No way!"

Cody and Bailey nod. "Its true..." Cody turns to Kirby. "Of course, that was after we had to watch you chasing after Zack in your boxer shorts..."

Kirby paused. "You two saw that?"

Bailey nods. "Sure did..."

Kirby just shakes his head. "Well, you two are engaged now, so where you two make out is none of my business!"

Cody laughed. "We'll keep that in mind. Anyways, we met your Dad in New Haven. He's great."

Kirby nodded. "Yeah, he told me about it. I'm glad to see you're both okay...We'll, except for Bailey's ankle. Moseby told me about it a little while ago."

Bailey nodded. "And we have other news for you. Keep June 26, 2014 open in your calendar. You've got our wedding to go to on that day."

"Will do. Where's it going to be?"

"Right here on the S.S. Tipton..."

"I'll be here! Well, it was good to see you two again, but I gotta get back to my rounds. Who knows what all trouble is happening down by the donut shop..." And with that, Kirby was gone.

Bailey turned to Katie. "So...Where would this Billy be right now? I think we should meet him..."

Katie looked horrified at that. "You're joking right?"

Bailey smiled. "Yeah, we are...But you know, its been a year and a half since I've had a banana fofana, and I'm craving one..."

Cody nods. "I could go for a mango fandango..."

So, with that, the three headed up to the skydeck. It was exactly as they had left it when they headed off the boat for graduation. They immediately went over to the smoothie bar and got their drinks. As they sat there sipping on them, Cody wrapped his arm around Bailey.

"Just think...In a year and a half, this place will be decorated for our wedding..."

Bailey smiled. "I know...I can't wait."

As they were sitting there enjoying their drinks, a young man entered the skydeck, and both could see him immediately light up when he saw Katie.

Cody leaned in and whispered to Bailey. "A foot rub says that's Billy..."

Bailey shook her head. "I'm not taking that bet...I think you're right..."

The young man walks over to Katie. "Hey, Katie! Have a good break?"

Katie smiled. "Yeah. Billy, this is my cousin Cody Martin and his fiancee, Bailey Pickett..."

Billy looks at them. "You're Cody Martin and Bailey Pickett?"

Cody and Bailey look at each other. "Yeah..."

Billy smiled. "Its a pleasure to meet you two. You two are legends around here..."

"We are?"

"Yeah! The two smartest students on deck who fell in love, got full rides to Yale together, got engaged, and went on to win College Team Jeopardy!"

Cody turns to Bailey. "Well, that does sound like us..."

"You two are an inspiration to me of what I can accomplish if I work hard..."

Bailey smiled. "Thank you. Hard work and finding the right person who shares your dream..."

Billy is smiling as he looks at Katie. "Yeah...I hope I can find that person like you two did..."

_To be Continued..._


	70. Finishing the Third Semester

_Chapter 70_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Unfortunately, Cody, Bailey, Cassie and Zack had to eventually leave the S.S. Tipton. Not only did they have to get Ellie, Mitch, Amy and Michelle to the airport, they all had homework to do when they got back to their respective apartments. So, they bid farewell to Zoey, Katie, Billy and Chas (who Zack had taken an immediate shine to and had given numerous tips on how to annoy Moseby). After dropping the adults off at Logan, they had another round of goodbyes. Finally, around one in the afternoon, both SUVs were on the road west. Once back in Connecticut, they went their separate ways.

Finally back home, Cody and Bailey put their dirty clothes in the washer and proceeded to do their homework for the next day. The following week was their last full week of classes before reading week and finals. That week would also be their last week of working until after the first of the new year. As the week went on, they had their final lab of the semester. Neither were too unhappy about finishing their last ever required lab at Yale as both new they would see them again in grad school. Friday afternoon came, and Cody and Bailey finished their last shifts after attending their last class of the semester.

The next week was reading week, and as had become custom the last two reading weeks, they had a meeting with Bill scheduled for early Monday morning. After knocking on his office door, Bill motioned them in.

"How much longer do you have to wear that contraption?"

"The doctor says I should be free of it sometime after the first of the year..."

Bill smiled. "I bet you can't wait for that..."

Bailey laughed. "You have no idea...And I'm sure Cody will be happy not to be kicked with it at night..."

Cody nodded. "She's right...I can't wait for my bruises to heal..."

Bill just shook his head. "Well, I'm sure you two want to get back to studying, so lets see what we can do. On the Economics side, you only need 4 more classes over the next three semesters. One of those has to be your senior project, and another one has to be above the 400 level..."

"What would you recommend us doing?"

Bill paused. "Personally, I'd go ahead and knock two out next semester. Then, in your last year, take the 400 level class one semester and the senior project the other..."

Cody and Bailey look at each other. "That's sounds reasonable..." They look back at Bill and grin. "Do we have to ask this year?"

Bill laughed. "I should have known...I'm teaching Econometrics again and a course on Financial Markets..."

Bailey smiled. "Sign us up!"

"Alright...I bet you two can guess when its offered too..."

Cody laughed. "Its going to be 9:00-10:15...I'm just not sure if its Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday..."

"Monday/Wednesday..."

"Sounds good..."

"Alright, the other class I would recommend for you both since you both may go into the health fields is Health Economics and Public Policy..."

Cody and Bailey nod. "Probably a good idea..."

"And its Tuesday/Thursday 11:00-12:15..."

"That's perfect..."

"Moving on, I forgot to clarify something with you both last time in regards to your Biology degrees. Did you two want a BA or a BS in Biology?"

Cody and Bailey look at each other for a minute before looking back at Bill. "Probably be better for us to have BS's..."

Bill nods. "Alright, well, there is a small difference. For the BS degree, you will need two semesters of the senior requirement. The Biology department requires you to do at least ten hours of research a week during each semester. However, something tells me between classes and studying, you both probably spend ten hours a week on each class anyways..."

Cody and Bailey nod. "Usually..."

"Okay, here is my suggestion then. Knock 16-17 hours out again next semester. That way, you can take easier course loads of only 12 hours your last two semesters. In the fall, knock out half of your Biology senior requirement and your Economics Senior Requirement along with a couple of other...excuse my language...fluff classes. Then, in your last semester, finish up your Biology senior requirement and three other classes you need to finish up."

Bailey paused. "That sounds reasonable, but I just want to make sure we take everything we need to take..."

Bill nods. "I understand. After the two courses you've already chosen for next semester, you only have two Economics classes left to take your senior year. We'll make sure you get all of your Biology classes taken care of too..." Bill pulls up a screen on his computer. "Beyond the prerequisites, you need seven courses, two labs and the senior requirement. Of the seven courses, there are four core classes you have to take, and you've knocked out three of those in Genetics, Evolutionary Biology and General Ecology. The final one to take is Intro to Statistics for the Life Sciences. That leaves you three electives you have to take including one in organismal diversity. Biochemistry counts as one of your electives. Next, your Genetics and Biochemistry labs take care of your labs. I would recommend taking the stats class and knocking out your last two electives.

Cody and Bailey look at each other. "Alright, that's what we'll do..."

"Okay, let's see what electives are available next semester..." Bill searches his computer screen. "Okay, the organismal diversity can be satisfied with courses dealing with terrestrial arthropods, invertebrates, ichthyology, ornithology, or microbiology..."

Cody and Bailey look at each other and at the same time, both say. "Microbiology!"

Bill laughs. "Alright, its offered Tuesday/Thursday 9:00-10:15..."

"Perfect..."

"Let's go back and schedule that Stats class now. It says here its a four hour class..." Bill looks at the times. "Wow, its one of those classes that has three hours of lecture and one hour of lab/discussion. Its going to have crazy times. Let's see if we can find one to fit your schedules. Hmmm...How about Monday/Wednesday 2:00-3:15 with the lab discussion on Friday mornings at 9:00-9:50?"

Cody and Bailey nod. "Sure..."

Bill smiled. "Alright, that takes us to your last elective. Is this where you two want to part ways, or do you want to knock out your last elective together?"

Cody turned to Bailey. "I don't know about you, but I'd rather finish our requirements together. Its your call though..."

Bailey smiled. "I'd prefer to as well..."

Bill grinned. "I think I have just the perfect class for both of your future pursuits...Biology of Reproduction. It focuses mainly on humans and other mammals..."

Cody grinned back. "Alright, that does sound perfect..."

While Bill looked it up, Bailey whispered to Cody. "Something tells me we're going to do just fine in that class..."

Cody had to keep from laughing.

Bill turned back to them. "Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays 11:00-11:50 work?"

"Perfectly..."

Bill hits some keys on his computer. "Alright, done. Sixteen credit hours. You've set yourselves up for two light course loads your last year..." He prints out a copy of their schedules for them, and they walk out of his office.

Cody turns to Bailey. "Look at this...We're done on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12:15. That would be perfect days for us to go in and work afternoons."

Bailey nodded. "Yeah. That works perfectly..."

The rest of the week found Cody and Bailey spending one day apiece studying for their finals. Finals were going to be different this year as they actually had five finals to take. Fortunately, they had dealt with finals on back to back days before, and they had dealt with that by studying during reading week. Finals started on Saturday, and Cody and Bailey had General Ecology right off the bat. They had studied for it all day Friday, so it was the freshest subject on their mind. Next off was American Economic History on Sunday afternoon to be followed by Game Theory on Monday afternoon. Tuesday was an off day from finals, but they began again on Wednesday morning with Biochemistry. Finals wrapped up on Thursday morning with Evolutionary Biology.

Thursday afternoon found them back sitting on their couch resting after a long week of finals. As she sat there relaxing, Bailey began to think of something. On Sunday, they were all heading back to Kettlecorn for Christmas again. But, due to her inability to drive, she hadn't been able to go out and do any Christmas shopping. And to make matters worse, she still hadn't thought of what to get Cody. She wanted to get him something extra special in part to thank him for being so supportive during her injury.

Bailey sighed. "Cody?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

Bailey decided just to get it out there. "What do you want for Christmas? With my limited mobility, we haven't had much opportunity to window shop this past semester, and I'm drawing a blank..."

Cody smiled at her. "You too, huh?"

"You mean you haven't got my gift yet either?"

Cody shook his head. "No...I've been racking my brain trying to think of the right thing, and I've only been able to come up with one idea..."

"What's that?"

"You sure you want to know?"

Bailey nodded. "Please..."

Cody proceeded to explain his one idea to her.

Bailey smiled. "Cody...I would love that!"

"Even if you aren't surprised now?"

"Of course..." Bailey sighed. "But that leaves me with nothing still..."

Cody paused. "Maybe not...If you don't mind there not being any surprises this year, I may have an idea..."

_To be Continued..._


	71. Off to Kettlecorn

_Chapter 71_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

Bailey immediately loved Cody's idea. While she loved Cody's surprises, she didn't need them to know that Cody loved her. And while she loved surprising him, she also knew she didn't need to to show Cody how much she loved him. So, still taking it easy, they began going through all the ads in the week's newspapers trying to get ideas to give to the other. Finally, at one point Cody saw something in one and turned to Bailey.

"What do you think?"

"Oh my gosh! Why didn't I think of that before?"

Cody chuckled. "Don't feel bad. I didn't either till I just saw it..."

Bailey looked at him. "That sounds perfect to me..."

"Really? You sure?"

Bailey smiled. "Positive."

Cody smiled back. "Looks like we know what we need to do tomorrow then..."

The next day, the made their way out to do their Christmas shopping. After taking care of their gifts for each other, they headed on to the mall to complete the rest of their shopping. With definite ideas in mind already for the family members, they could take their time. Of course, while the other wasn't looking, they did get something extra for each other.

On Saturday, they once again met up with Zack and Cassie to head to Boston. With them was Woody and Addison. It seems Woody and Addison were going to fly out of Logan too because they were able to get cheaper airfare to Chicago (Southwest Airlines) to see Addison's family. They were going to fly back in after Christmas to celebrate New Years in Boston as well. Soon, they were all on their way to Boston with the guys in one car (Zack relented and rode with Cody this time) and the girls in another. The girls chatted the whole way about what was new with the wedding. The guys wanted to know what Cody and Bailey were going to do with their winnings and then moved on quickly to sports.

Once back in Boston, they briefly said hello to Carey again before they were all off in the hotel airport shuttle to Logan. Once there, they split as Southwest was in one terminal and the low budget airline the four were taking to Kansas City was in another. Soon, Porkers and their bags were checked, and the four were off to wait for their flight. Now, this is where Bailey's injury came in handy. Normally, there were no assigned seats and you were boarded in blocks. However, those with disabilities were allowed to board first. And everyone in that person's traveling party was allowed to board with them. So, they were first in line to board and grabbed the very front rows so Bailey would have more leg room.

A couple of hours later, they were all landing in Kansas City. Being in the front seats had another perk here – they were the first to get off the plane now. Arriving at baggage claim, they found Kurt and Sarah waiting on them again. Welcoming hugs went around, and after they gathered their bags and Porkers, they were off again. The entire drive to Kettlecorn, Kurt and Sarah wanted to hear all about their semesters. Once those stories were done, Kurt and Sarah wanted to hear all about the Jeopardy experience.

Arriving in Kettlecorn, Bailey was unable to immediately run inside to see her family. But once she had released Porkers, she hobbled into the house as fast as she could. Zack, Cody, and Kurt took care of getting the bags as Sarah and Cassie followed Bailey.

Zack just shook his head. "You know, your future wife get so excited over the strangest of things..."

Cody shrugged. "That's just who she is..."

Zack smirked. "Maybe that explains why she still puts up with you?"

Cody just rolled his eyes and continued to carry the bags inside. Once inside, they saw everyone had once again gathered. Immediately, Cody could see that Bailey was seated and everyone was fussing over her. She gave him a pleading look asking for help.

"Hey, Bails. Will you show me where you want me to put all of this in your old room?"

Bailey spoke and stood up before anyone else could say anything. "Sure..."

As they headed upstairs and got to her room, she immediately gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you so much..."

Cody smiled. "What did I miss when you first came in?"

Bailey sighed. "They told me I needed to be resting and practically pushed me down into the chair. I tried explaining that I was fine and that I was allowed to walk, but I don't think they were listening..."

"Well, let me know when you are ready to head back down or do you need to lie down due to 'jet lag'?"

Bailey laughed. "No, I'm better now. I just needed a minute away from the barrage..."

"Alright, lets head back down then. But if you need another rescue, just let me know..."

The rest of the afternoon was spent sitting around with all of the family and repeating the stories about college life and Jeopardy. Soon enough though, it was time for dinner, and everyone gathered around for that. Once dinner was over and after most had gone back to their homes, the four teens and the four adults were sitting around the table chatting over dessert.

Kurt turned to Zack and Cassie. "Well, I understand you two have declared majors now..."

Zack nodded. "Yeah, I'm officially a sports management major now..."

Cassie nodded too. "And I'm officially a music education major..."

Sarah smiled at her. "Good for you. Have you begun classes in it yet?"

"Yeah, I had a couple of the preliminary classes this semester. They were a lot of fun..."

Sarah laughed. "Well, I wish you the best of luck especially when you get to the music theory classes. That stuff always blew my mind..."

Cassie sighed. "Thanks...I have music theory next semester..."

Kurt turned back to Zack. "What do you have next semester?"

"Let me think...Intro to Sports Management, an Accounting class, Sports in Society, a Psych class and an Economics class..." He turns to Cody and Bailey and grinned. "Can I count on you two to do my homework for that one?"

Cody and Bailey both rolled their eyes. "We don't think so, Zack...We have a full course load as it is..."

Joe turned to them. "What are you two taking..."

"Financial Markets, Health Economics and Public Policy, a Stats class for Life Science majors, Microbiology and Biology of Reproduction..."

Maggie laughed. "Biology of Reproduction?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah. It focuses on the reproduction processes of both humans and mammals and deals with hormones and gestation periods..."

"So, how does that leave you two on your goal of graduating in three years?"

Bailey smiled. "We right on schedule. Our last two semesters, we'll only need twelve hours a semester, and we'll only need two more classes in both economics and biology to graduate. Beyond those, we'll be able to take whatever we want..."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Unbelievable..."

Kurt laughed. "Anyways, have you two heard anything back from your the tests you took over Thanksgiving?"

Cody and Bailey shook their heads. "Not yet...We probably won't know until the first of the year..."

"What happens when you do?"

"We submit copies of our transcripts to the reporting agencies as well as our applications, and the reporting agencies forward our applications, scores, and transcripts to the schools we choose. After that, we wait..."

Everyone nods. "Well, what's new on the wedding front?"

"We have a date set. And you all have submitted names and addresses for family members. We've compiled a spread sheet for everyone, and we'll give that to the wedding coordinator when we meet her in April. Other than that, London is supposed to have some sketches for wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses to show us soon..."

"So, everything on schedule?"

Bailey nods. "It appears to be..."

Once everyone was caught up on everything, it was getting late, and everyone turned in for the night. Cody and Bailey just laid there in Bailey's old bed together.

"So, does it feel good to be home again?"

Bailey smiled. "Yeah, it does. This place will always be special to me..."

Cody nods. "That's good..." He grins. "You know, I never thought about it last Christmas or over spring break, but this has to be pretty strange for you..."

Bailey was confused. "What would be strange?"

"Well, this is the bed you grew up in. Now, you have me sharing it with you. You probably never imagined that growing up..."

Bailey paused to think. "Yeah, I hadn't thought of that before either. I did often lay here at night and wonder what my future husband would be like though. I had all these dreams and thoughts of him and what he would be like..."

"So, how does the reality of me stack up with your dreams?"

Bailey smiled. "Cody...I know now that the husband I was dreaming of and thinking about...It was you..."

"Really?"

"Yeah...How do I stack up to what you thought of in a wife?"

Cody teased her. "Well, I was heartbroken when Jennifer Aniston married Brad Pitt, but she is now on the open market again..."

Baily playfully punched his arm. "Cody!"

Cody leaned over and kissed her. "Bails, you are and always will be the girl of my dreams. You always have been even before I actually met you. Then, my dreams were the promise of you..."

_To be Continued..._


	72. Guess Who's BackAgain

_Chapter 72_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The rest of the week in Kettlecorn was a time of taking it easy. With it being winter, there wasn't much work to do on the farm as the crops wouldn't be planted until spring. So, mostly the only real work that needed to be done was to take care of the animals. Bailey was insistent that she could still do that. Cody knew he couldn't stop her, but went with her in case she had any problems. Plus, he was pretty sure she wouldn't be happy if she stepped in any horse pucky with her walking boot.

One night, UCONN was supposed to be playing in a holiday tournament, so the four teens headed down to the only restaurant hoping to catch it on the satellite dish. Kettlecorn still didn't have cable as no cable company thought the town was big enough to make it worth their while. Fortunately, they were able to get the tavern to put one of the TV's on ESPN, and Zack and Cassie were happy to sit back and watch the game.

Cody and Bailey weren't all that into the game, so they made their way over to one of the pool tables. Neither were big pool players, but both enjoyed the physics and geometry the game required. They really weren't taking everything that seriously and were more just having fun when the heard a voice behind them.

"How about a game?"

Cody and Bailey turned around and standing in front of them was Betsy Sue and Moose. Cody and Bailey looked at each other and shrugged. Why not? The UCONN game was still in the first half, so they weren't going anywhere for a while.

"Sure..."

It was then that Betsy Sue noticed Bailey's walking boot. "What happened to your leg?"

Bailey shrugged. "I had an accident and broke my ankle, but its fine now. I'll be out of this in a few weeks..." She smiled. "Fortunately, I had my own pre-med student taking good care of me..."

Betsy Sue nodded. "I guess a lot's happened since we last saw you...Moose and I got married this past summer..."

"We know. Buck told us last Christmas..."

"Are you two married yet? I know you're engaged..."

"Not yet. We're getting married the summer after we graduate Yale. Where in the midst of planning it right now..."

"How are things going up there?"

Bailey smiled. "Wonderful. We graduate in three more semesters, and then hopefully, I'm off to vet school and Cody is off to med school..."

Moose finally spoke up. "Vet school, huh? I suppose there is a nice ring to 'Dr. Pickett'..."

Bailey shook her head. "Actually, it'll be Dr. Martin...Cody and I will be married long before then."

Betsy Sue sighs. "Still have any thoughts as to whether leaving Kettlecorn was the right decision?"

Bailey shakes her head. "Not a one. It was by far the best decision I ever made..." She turns to Cody and smiles. "Well, maybe second best decision..."

"No regrets?"

"None. I knew I was looking for something different than what Kettlecorn could offer me. I was a little nervous at first, but that quickly disappeared. I made friendships that will last a lifetime, got a great education and wonderful experiences and adventures, and I met my soulmate...I will never regret any of that..."

Cody leaned in and kissed Bailey on the cheek. "I'm going to go get some hot chocolate. You want one too?"

Bailey smiled at him. "I would love one..."

Moose grunted. "I guess I can go get us something too..." Both walked off to the bar area.

Betsy Sue sighed again. "It really seems like Cody really loves you..."

Bailey nodded. "Yeah, he does. And the feeling is mutual. I'm so lucky to have someone who loves me for who am I, supports me in no matter what I do, treats me like an equal..."

"That must be so nice..."

Bailey paused. "But..."

"I know Moose has changed some, but I've still never seen him look at me the way Cody just did at you...Sometimes, I wish..."

"What?"

"When you left Kettlecorn over five years ago, I envied you. You were doing what I wanted to do myself. So many times I thought about following your lead and getting out of here, but I'm stuck now. I was afraid to go off on my own though. You weren't. And now you're leading the life I can only dream about..."

Bailey paused again. She debated with herself about how to respond to that. Finally, she knew she had to be honest. "Its not too late, you know..."

"Really? You think so?"

"I know so...If you have dreams, you never want to regret not going after them..."

"What about Moose?"

Bailey paused. What she was about to say could end the pseudo peace she and Cody had with Moose now. But, she knew she had to be honest. "If he wants to hold you back from your dreams, then you are better off without him. Trust me on that..."

Betsy Sue nodded. "You may be right...I'll think about it."

Cody and Moose returned, and they did play a few games. Before long, the basketball game was over, and everyone returned back to the farm. Bailey was glad to be out of there and didn't want to be anywhere around if Betsy Sue followed her advice. That night in bed, she told Cody what she had done. Cody just pulled her closer and told her she had done the right thing. If Moose blamed her, they would deal with it together. Bailey could only sigh in gratitude. She was so glad she had made that decision so long ago.

Soon enough, it was Christmas Eve again. Like the past couple of years, it followed the usual traditions. In the morning, there was a family breakfast. And with Christmas Eve falling on a Sunday, there was an afternoon of football on TV while Christmas Eve dinner was being prepared. After the Chiefs game was over, everyone once again gathered for Christmas Dinner. They ate and they ate and they ate. Once Dinner was over, it was time for presents once again.

Like before, the youngest went first and so on. When it got time for the four teens, they each were given one package in front of them along with several envelopes again. The guys let the ladies go first in opening their boxes. Inside hers, Cassie found a sweatshirt with her sorority letters on it. Inside hers, Bailey found a gift basket with scented candles, her favorite body oils, body wash and shampoo, a pumice stone, and a new lady's razor. Zack went next, and like Cassie, he had a sweatshirt with his fraternity letters on it. Cody was the last to go, and inside his, was a men's grooming kit with a trimmer, aloe shaving cream, aftershave, and a new men's razor. Along with those, each got more gift cards and cash.

When it got time for the parents to open gifts, Kurt and Sarah went first. They each had a gift from all four of the teens. Both opened their gifts and discovered a portable DVD player, a carrying case for it including a DVD folder, and a gift certificate to Best Buy so they could both buy their favorite movies. When it was time for Joe and Maggie to go, the discovered that they had been bought a Direct TV package. Both were a little unsure what to say about it, but Bailey told them that part of the subscription was the Yale TV channel that they could use to keep up with what was going on on campus.

Once presents were over, everyone hung out a little while longer watching the Patriots game until it was time to go to church. After a lovely service, the four teens were saying their goodbyes to Joe, Maggie and the rest of the family. They were about to load into the minivan to head to the airport, when they all noticed Moose and Betsy Sue in a heated argument. All of them noticed Betsy Sue say something to him, and Moose turned and glared at them.

Next thing they know, Moose had turned back, and in front of most of the residents of the town, he slapped Betsy Sue knocking her to the ground. He turned back and glared at Bailey again, and immediately, Cody stepped in front of her. If Moose was going to do anything, he would have to get through Cody first.

However, what Moose seemed to have forgotten was who else was in attendance. Beyond Bailey's brother in law who was a sheriff's deputy, there was Betsy Sue's uncle...the sheriff. The next thing anyone knew, Moose was on the ground writhing in pain. Seems he had just been tased.

Bailey's brother in law had to chuckle. "We just got those in a couple of weeks ago. That was the first time I got to see one used. I wonder how long he'll be out..."

Cody immediately answered. "About an hour..."

"How do you know that?"

Cody turned to Bailey who was trying to keep from laughing. "Oh...Just one of those things I've picked up..."

Soon enough, Moose was in the back of a squad car heading in one direction while the four teens were in the minivan heading in another. A little while later, they were in the Kansas City airport. They made their goodbyes to Kurt and Sarah and waited for their red eye flight to Boston. A couple of hours later, the flight was finally called and they went through the same process they had in Boston about a week ago.

As they sat in the front row again, Bailey had her head rested on Cody's shoulder.

"Cody, what do you think will happen next back in Kettlecorn?"

Cody paused. "Well, with Betsy Sue's uncle being the sheriff, I don't think he's going to be having fun in lockup..."

Bailey smiled. "Her grandfather is the judge..."

Cody laughed. "Ordinarily, I would think Moose could ask for a new judge in that case, but I get the feeling by the time it gets to trial of any kind, Moose will be dealt a harsh punishment..."

"I sure hope so..."

"Me too, Bails..."

"I guess the understanding we had with him is over now..."

"Maybe...But, something tells me it will be a long time if ever before we see him again..."

_To be Continued..._


	73. Guess Who Else is Back

_Chapter 73_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

It was close to 8 AM when they landed back at Logan Airport. And of course, there to meet them was Carey and Ellie. After gathering their bags and Porkers, they all climbed aboard the Tipton Airport Shuttle and headed back to the hotel. Again, they got the keys to their suite and all crashed to get some sleep. About 4 PM, they were all up, showered and dressed again.

Instead of fixing dinner, they had reservations in the Tipton restaurant that year. Mr. Tipton had comped all of his employees and their families Christmas dinner. So, at tables surrounding them were Esteban, Francesca, little Mario and Mother Ramirez; Norman and his family, Skippy and his family, and a surprise none of the expected – Maddie and her family.

"Maddie?"

Maddie looked up and saw Arwin, Carey, Bailey, Cody, Zack, Cassie and Ellie. Immediately, she got up and hugged them all.

"I was wondering if I was going to see you guys today!"

Carey smiled. "They just got back in from Kettlecorn this morning..."

Maddie smiled. "It so good to see you all again...Its been a while...I think since spring break of your junior years of high school..."

Bailey laughed. "Yeah, a lot has happened since then..."

Maddie winked at her. "So, I hear...I would like you all to meet someone special...Everyone, this is Trevor..."

Zack turned to Cody. "Why does he look familiar?"

Cody shook his head. "I know, but I can't place him..."

Maddie continued. "Trevor, this Zack, his girlfriend Cassie, Cody, and his fiance Bailey. Zack and Cody grew up in the hotel here while I was working the candy counter..."

Treveor nods and shakes their hands. Maddie turns back to them.

"You know, Cody, I should be angry with you!"

Cody was surprised. "Me? What did I do?"

"You're getting married before I am!"

Cody was confused. "You're getting married too?"

Maddie looked at him. "No!...Not yet anyways. I just mean that you are actually getting married!"

Cody smiled. "Well, if you want to blame anyone, blame Bailey...She's the one who said yes..."

Bailey playfully poked him in the ribs. "I wouldn't have been able to say yes if you hadn't asked first..."

"Touche..."

Maddie smiled. "Alright...I'll let it slide as long as I'm invited..."

Bailey smiled. "Of course you are...Just keep June 26, 2014 open on your calendar..."

"Will do. Where will it be?"

"The S.S. Tipton. London is taking care of everything for us..."

"London? You two are letting her have control over it? Oh boy..."

Cody laughed. "No, we've kept control over everything. She agreed to pay for it in return for letting her broadcast it on a special episode of Yay Me!..."

"I see...Well, rumor is London is supposed to be back here at the Tipton sometime this week. I hope I get to see her before I head back to school..."

Cody looked confused again. "I thought you were at NYU?"

"I am..."

"But London is at FINY...I would think you two see each other all the time..."

Maddie laughed. "We've tried, but it hasn't worked out. Plus, the security at the New York Tipton isn't as nice as the ones here...They've actually laughed me off and escorted me out when I said I was there to see London..."

Remembering the security guard when they visited her, Cody and Bailey nodded in understanding.

"Speaking of colleges, how are things going at UCONN and Yale?"

Zack nodded. "Good. We have an apartment there with our friends Woody and Addison, and this past semester, Cassie and I declared majors..."

"Oh, this I have to hear..."

Cassie laughed. "I'm music education and Zack's sports management..."

Maddie nods. "Sounds good. Good luck with both of those..." She turns to Cody and Bailey. "And you two?"

Cody smiled. "Good...We'll both graduate in 2014 with double majors in economics and biology..."

Maddie sighed. "So, I'm three years older than you both, but I'll only graduate college one year before you do?"

Bailey smiled. "What's next after college for you?"

Maddie shrugged. "I don't know yet. I'm still trying to figure that out..."

Finally, Maddie returned back to her table with Trevor, but she made the others to promise to keep in touch. Zack, Cassie, Carey, Arwin, Ellie, Bailey and Cody made their way to their own table and sat down for a good Christmas dinner. After eating way too much, everyone returned back to Carey's suite to exchange gifts.

Cody, Bailey, Zack and Cassie first gave Ellie her gift. She opened the gift and wasn't quite sure what it was. They explained to her that it was a digital picture frame that changed pictures every so often. While in Kettlecorn, the four had pooled the pictures from their laptops and digital cameras to load it with numerous pictures of them all together or as couples. There were even a few pictures of Porkers thrown in.

Ellie laughed. "Well, I guess he is the closest thing I have to a great grandchild right now..."

Next was Carey and Arwin. Zack looked at his mom and her boyfriend. "We remember how much you two said you enjoyed your trip to Martha's Vineyard from last year, so we figured we'd send you two someplace fun again..."

Carey smiled. "Awww...That's so sweet of you guys..."

Zack nodded and handed her an envelope. "Cody and Bailey thought you two would enjoy a trip to Vermont to see the maple syrup operations..."

Carey paused. "Oh...that's nice..."

Zack laughed. "But I overruled them..."

Carey opened the envelope and eyes bulged when she saw what it was. "Atlantic City?"

Zack smiled. "Cassie and I figured you two would have a lot more fun there..."

Cody turned to Bailey and whispered. "I don't know what was so wrong with Vermont. I thought it sounded like a lot of fun..."

"I know! I would love to go up there..."

Next it was time for the gifts for the teens. Carey turned to them. "Alright, I know you guys probably know more about what you want and need, so we figured you all could get them yourselves. So, again, we got you all some gift cards. Have some fun with them and get what you want. But, we do have a gift for all of you to open..." Ellie passed out a box to all of them.

Inside the boxers, all four of them found a pair of warm memory foam slippers to wear around their apartments. Carey did have to turn to Bailey.

"I know you can't use both of them right now, but I've hear you will be able to soon..."

Bailey smiled. "Trust me, I don't think anyone here is looking forward to using these anymore than I am..."

As it was getting late, the teens headed back to their own suite so they could exchange gifts between themselves. They gather the gifts up and everyone sits around the two couches in the living room area of the suite. First up were Zack and Cassie.

Bailey turned to them. "Alright, we thought these were things you both would like or maybe need..."

Cody spoke up. "First though, I think you might be wanting this..." Cody handed his brother an envelope.

Zack opened it up and smiled. "Thanks guys..." He turned to Cassie. "Its another year subscription to XM/Sirius..."

Cassie smiled. "Thanks guys...You both have no idea how much we've enjoyed that. We absolutely love it..."

Bailey smiled. "You're welcome." With that, Cody and Bailey hand two gifts to Zack and Cassie. Zack's is rectangular in shape while Cassie's has a very unusual shape.

Cassie opens it and begins to laugh. "My very own acoustic guitar...Thanks guys..."

"We figured it might come in handy in your music classes..."

"I really appreciate it..."

Cody smiled. "Well, give Zack some credit. He's the one who gave us the idea..."

Cassie leaned over and kissed Zack's cheek. "Thanks, Babe..."

"You're welcome..." Zack opens the gift in front of him. Like Cassie, he began to laugh too. He looks up and Cody and Bailey. "My very own smoothie machine?"

"We figured you were missing making them..."

Cassie laughed. "Ohhhh...I can't wait to make them at home!"

Zack got up and handed an envelope to Cody and another one to Bailey. "Codes, open yours first..."

Cody opened it and smiled at what he saw. He turned to Bailey. "Looks like we have XM/Sirius now too..."

Cassie smiled. "And it will come in handy after you open Bailey's envelope..."

Bailey opened hers, and she too grinned. "A weekend in Vermont!"

Zack laughed. "See, we actually knew you two would like that!"

"I know we will..."

Cody nodded. "I can't wait to go..." He paused. "Should we start again with youngest to oldest?"

Cassie shrugged. "I guess that's me..." Zack got up and placed a large box in front of her.

"Here you go, Babe..."

Cassie opened it and inside found a brand new keyboard along with a stand to set it on. "Zack..."

"I figured this would help with your music courses too..."

Cassie leaned over and kissed him. "Thank you so much...I absolutely love it...and I love you..."

Zack smiled. "You are very welcome..."

Bailey spoke up. "I guess I'm next, but I already know what Cody got me..."

Zack and Cassie look at her. "Oh?"

Bailey smiled. "We went in together to book ourselves a week in Washington, DC next spring break. We're taking the train down and staying at the Washington Tipton. And we've already requested passes to the galleries, a White House tour, and an all access pass to the Smithsonian..."

Cassie nodded. "That sounds like fun..."

Zack mumbles under his breath. "For them..."

Bailey continued. "And from each other, we went ahead and bought each other a set of custom golf clubs. They'll be ready in a few weeks..."

Cody smiled. "You do have something to open though..." He pulled out a small gift bag and gave it to Bailey. "I hope you like it..."

Bailey smiled at him and looked inside the bag. Immediately, she began to laugh. Inside were barnyard animal covers for her woods – a pig, a cow, and a rooster. She turned to Cody. "Those are the most adorable things I've ever seen...other than you of course." She leaned over and kissed him. "And since you're next, you have something to open too..." Bailey hands him a similar gift bag.

Cody opened it and looked inside. He too began to laugh as he saw that he and Bailey had thought alike once again. He too had covers for his woods, but they were Red Sox ones. "I love them, Bails...Thank you, Sweetie..." This time, he leaned over and kissed her.

Zack looked around. "I guess that leaves me, the old man of this outfit..."

Cassie nodded. "I guess so..." She gets up and drags over a long box in front of him. "Merry Christmas, Zack."

Zack opens it and get the biggest grin on his face. "My very own hammock! This is the best Christmas ever!"

_To be Continued..._


	74. Big Decisions

_Chapter 74_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

The next few days were a time of just hanging out around the hotel. Cody and Bailey normally would have gone skating, but that was going to have to be put on hold until next year. So, instead they went out to museums in Boston and saw a movie or two with Zack and Cassie. Of course, one of the things all four of them did was check their grades on their respective schools websites. And again, all four had done very well.

Cody sat back on the couch next to Bailey with his arm around her. "You know, we keep this up and we're both looking at graduating Summa Cum Laude..."

Bailey smiled. "I know...and maybe Phi Beta Kappa too..."

Cody smiled back at her. "Too bad we'll probably already know what grad school we will be in by then. Those would look good on an application..."

"Speaking of which. Now that our grades are out, it might be a good idea to go ahead and call the registrar's office and request official transcripts. That way, they'll be ready to be picked up when we get back..."

Cody nodded. "Good idea..." He paused. "Think we should call Jo and see if we've gotten our test results back?"

Bailey paused to think about it. "I don't think so. If we knew they were in, we wouldn't be able to think about anything else until it drove us crazy..."

"You're probably right. And if they are in, they'll be there waiting for us when we get back. Besides, we have New Year's Eve to think about..." Cody grinned. "I can't wait to dance the night away with my beautiful fiancee..."

"Cody...You know I can't dance too well with this walking boot..."

"So? I don't enjoy dancing with you to look good. I enjoy dancing with you because it gives me a good excuse to hold you in my arms..."

Bailey smiled. "Okay, I see your argument, and I can get on board with it...Do we need to call Chef Paulo and try to get him to squeeze us in again?"

Cody smiled. "Already done. I called him from the airport before we left for Kettlecorn once I found out Woody and Addison would be here with us..."

"Speaking of which, aren't they supposed to be arriving today?"

"Yeah, I think Zack said said they would be in this afternoon. Of course, at the time he was trying to convince Cassie to let him assemble his hammock..."

Bailey laughed. "Why do I get the feeling it will be next to impossible to get him out of that thing?"

Cody laughed too. "You think Cassie is second guessing that decision now?"

"Probably..."

That afternoon, Woody and Addison did arrive in Boston. Once there, the three couples headed out in Boston to have some fun. Unfortunately, as they were out, it began to snow pretty hard. To Zack and Cody, this was typical Boston weather. Woody and Addison, coming from Cleveland and Chicago respectively, were used to it as well. Bailey, however, wanted to make sure it wasn't another Noreaster. Not that she was wary of it, she just wanted to know if they needed to get prepared for it.

Fortunately, it was just an average snowstorm, so no precautions were needed. Besides, with the Boston subway, they could still get anywhere they needed or wanted to go. But, the bitter cold did tend to cause them to stay indoors more than normal. Of course, the snow wasn't the only thing that had arrived in Boston. They were all walking through the lobby when the heard that voice.

"Daddy will not be happy to hear that the snow has ruined my new designer suede shoes!"

They all turned, and there she was. London.

"London!"

She turned and saw all of them. "There you are. I've got some sketches to show you for the bridesmaid dresses and wedding gown..."

Bailey smiled. "Thanks, London..."

"Let me get Ivana settled in, and I'll show them to you..."

Cody turned to Bailey. "Well, I guess we know what we are doing this afternoon now..."

Bailey smiled and shook her head. "We know what _I'm_ doing this afternoon. Remember, the groom isn't supposed to see the bride's wedding dress before the ceremony...even in sketch form..."

Cody sighed and smiled. "Oh, alright..."

Bailey turned to Cassie and Addison. "You two come with me. You'll be wearing the bridesmaid dresses, you should give me your input..."

Zack huffed. "What are we supposed to do then?"

London shrugged. "Well, the Celtics are playing in a few hours...You guys can use the Tipton luxury suite and go to the game..."

Zack just stared at her. "Tipton...luxury...suite?"

"Of course...We have one for the Celtics, the Bruins, the Red Sox and the Patriots...I'm surprised you guys didn't ask to use them before..."

"Because you didn't tell us you had them!"

"You never asked..."

Zack was flustered. "I...I..."

Cody interrupted him. "What he's trying to say is thank you, London. Come on guys, we need to go get changed and down to the arena..."

London shrugged. "I'll tell them to have the passes for you at will call..."

The guys all went to get changed into their Celtic wear...except Woody, he was going to wear a Cavaliers shirt regardless. The girls all headed up to London's penthouse suite. Once Ivana was settled, London opened up her laptop. Once it was booted, she opened up a program on her desktop.

"Alright, I need to take pictures of the three of you, so I can actually show you what you will look like in my designs..."

The other three shrugged, and took each other's picture with London's digital camera. The camera was hooked up to the computer, and soon, Bailey, Cassie and Addison had their images there along side London's.

"Okay, the designs I've made have already been scanned in. Lets start with the bridesmaids dresses first..."

She clicks on Addison's, Cassie's, and her own images and drag them on screen. She clicks on another button, and dresses appear on the images on screen.

Cassie, Addison and Bailey were all surprised. "Wow...That's cool..."

London smiled. "I know...I had Daddy's smarticle guys make it for me...Tell me if you see any you like..."

They began circling through the various designs. None of them really stood out to Bailey. In her mind, she knew she would know the perfect ones when she saw them. After a while, there was still nothing that Bailey knew was the right one. She sighed wondering if this was all a waste of time. But she was snapped out of her thoughts.

"Ohhhh...That one is gorgeous!"

"I know! I would wear that one again after the wedding!"

Bailey focused to look to see what they were looking at, and she saw it. It was a beautiful knee length lavender dress with a black sash with enough hints of pink on the dress to be noticeable. Bailey immediately loved it.

Meanwhile, at the TD Garden, Zack, Cody and Woody picked up their tickets at will call. And along with them, they were given floor passes for before the game. So, they found themselves actually standing on the edge of the legendary parquet floor.

"Who are the Celtics playing anyways?"

Zack paused. "I'm not sure..."

Cody was about to look at his ticket to find out when the other team came out for a shoot around. Cody had to laugh. It was the Phoenix Suns.

Zack looked at his brother. "What?"

"Its Phoenix..."

Zack, Cody and Woody just stood there watching them warm up when they were approached.

"Well, if it isn't Cody Martin again..."

Cody reached out and shook Steve Nash's hand while Zack and Woody looked on in shock with their mouths hanging wide open.

Cody laughed. "Please excuse them. This is my twin brother, Zack and our buddy, Woody..."

Steve shook their hands too. "Nice to meet you guys..." He turned back to Cody and laughed. "You following me now?"

Cody shook his head. "Nah. My fiance and their girlfriends are looking at bridesmaid and wedding dresses, so we were sent here to keep us out of the way..."

"Must be nice to be sent to the floor of an NBA arena to be kept out of the way..."

Cody shrugged. "London Tipton is a good friend of ours..."

Steve nodded and laughed. "I know all about her. She tried to buy the team and rename us the Phoenix Shinies..."

Cody grimaced. "Sorry about that..."

"No worries. By the way, congratulations. I saw you and your fiancee kick some butt on Jeopardy..."

"Thank you..."

"So, what comes next after Yale?"

"Med school..." Cody paused and smiled. "But, my brother Zack here is majoring in sports management..."

Zack looked at his brother and smiled before he turned to Steve Nash. "Mr. Nash? May I call you Steve? I think you and I should talk..."

Back in London's penthouse suite, the image on the screen is now Bailey's image. Again, they were cycling through London's ideas. But again, Bailey still couldn't find one that she felt was her. They were all very nice, but just not her.

London turned to her. "That's the last of them..."

Bailey sighed. "I appreciate it London, but none of those were me..."

London paused. "Wait...I may have one more. I was supposed to design a dress on a limited budget. I thought it was a dumb assignment because when will I ever have a budget..." She clicked the mouse a few times, and there it was. Bailey's face lit up as she saw it. She had found her wedding dress.

_Part I to be Concluded..._


	75. Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013

_Chapter 75_

Again, I don't own any of these characters

By the end of the night, several things had been settled. One, Bailey had chosen her wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses. Two, Cody had to drag Zack away from Steve Nash before security had to be called. Fortunately, the lavish treatment in the luxury suite made Zack soon forget about meeting and schmoozing Steve Nash. Woody was attacking the buffet in the suite with a reckless abandonment. Zack, on the other hand was sitting back in a leather recliner watching the game, which was happening live to his left, on a large plasma TV. Cody himself was not turning down any of the complimentary items being given them.

Before London had to move on to her next appointment, she told Bailey that when they met the wedding coordinator in April, they would also pick out the tux style she wanted the guys to wear. And they would wait until early 2014 before they had everyone come down to New York for measurements. Bailey thanked London again for everything before she returned back to their suite. She, Cassie and Addison were hanging out with Porkers when the guys finally returned. It was evident that they all had had a blast at the game. She had to laugh too when Cody told her it was against Phoenix and about their meeting of Steve Nash again.

That night, as they laid in bed together, both were talking about their days.

"So, you found your wedding dress, huh?"

Bailey smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I think its perfect..."

Cody smiled. "I bet you will look absolutely amazing in it. I'm sure you'll leave me speechless when I see you coming down the aisle..."

Bailey laughed. "I hope not! I want you to be able to say 'I do', buster..."

"Oh, I don't think I'll any problem saying that. Now, I may have a problem wanting to say it early..."

Bailey smiled at him. "I think I can overlook that..." She paused. "Speaking of what we say, do we want to do the traditional vows or do we want to make up our own?"

Cody paused. "I can go either way. But it might be nice to be able to add our own personal touches to the ceremony..."

"I feel the exact same way..."

Cody smiled. "So, I guess we just decided to do our own vows..."

Bailey smiled too. "I guess so...But, Cody?"

"Yeah, Bails?"

She grinned and leaned in and kissed him. "You know I love you, but I know how verbose you can get...So, there will be a time limit..."

The last couple of days before New Year's Eve were busy ones. Cody and Bailey had called the Yale registrar to request official transcripts. They had both called their respective employers saying they would return back to work on January 7, work Monday through Thursday and have Friday to take care of the things they needed for class the next Monday. They also gave them their spring semester schedules of Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

On Thursday morning, everyone was gearing up to watch the Patriots game on TV that evening. Everyone was musing that it would be nice to actually go to the game again when London just asked why not go. Well, first, they said they would need tickets. Then, Bailey said that being outside in the middle of winter in a walking boot probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. London just shook her head and said that the luxury suite was nice and toasty. That was all the convincing anyone needed.

To be on the safe side though, Bailey wore an extra pair of socks over her bad foot inside the walking boot. London arranged for them to take a limo down to Foxboro, and instead of freezing like all the other tailgaters, they lounged inside the warm luxury suite.

Unfortunately, as nice as things were inside the suite, outside, they were not so good. Due to the team owner's cheapness, Tom Brady and Randy Moss had both left via free agency. The once mighty Pats were now the poster child for a rebuilding team. And to make matters worse, the fanbase was turning on the owner. They blamed him for not keeping Brady and Moss and for letting the team fall to such depths. Even Woody had to admit that he wasn't sure Art Modell was still that hated in Cleveland, and he had taken the Browns and moved them to Baltimore.

Even thought it was nice to be at the game, the Patriots just couldn't do much against the hated Jets. By halftime, the game was pretty much already over. So, while other fans decided to leave rather that watching a horrible game in the bitter cold, the seven stayed inside the warm confines of the luxury suite. At one point, while Bailey was sitting on Cody's lap, he leaned up and whispered to her and asked if she had packed her Patriots jersey. She just grinned that she had.

Mercifully, the game finally came to a close, and the Patriot's season was put out of its misery. The seven climbed back into London's limo and made their way back to the Tipton. Once back, they called it a night as they all knew the next night would be a late one.

Finally, New Year's Eve arrived. Cody was already dressed in his nicest suit ready to go when Bailey came out of the bathroom in her robe and a towel rapped around her hair.

Cody smiled. "Maybe going out wasn't such a good idea...I think I wouldn't mind staying in..."

Bailey sighed. "Fine by me...Cody, what am I supposed to wear tonight?"

"You'll look amazing in anything..."

"Not with this walking boot I won't. This is the first time I've had to really dress up with it, and nothing looks right...And I can even think of wearing heels with it..." And with that, Bailey sunk into the bed.

Cody went over and sat next to her. "Bails, it'll be okay. I guarantee you'll look beautiful..."

"Thank you, Sweetie..." Bailey sighed. "I just can't wait for next week when I finally get rid of this thing..."

"I know. But just remember, it is less than a week away now. The finish line is in sight. A couple of more steps and it will be all over..."

Bailey smiled at him. "Was that supposed to be a pep talk?"

"Did it work?"

"Yeah, it did..."

"So, you ready to go out and ring in 2013?"

Bailey smiled again. "Yeah..."

Cody smiled. "Lets go have some fun..."

A little while later, they found themselves back in the revolving restaurant overlooking all of Boston. They were seated and ordered their meals. After dinner, their was again a dance floor for people to cut a rug. Bailey still rather sit out fast songs, but Cody was able to drag her out for some slow songs.

As they were dancing, another song began to play.

Bailey smiled at Cody. "I've always loved this song..."

Cody smiled back at her. "Me too...It seems to capture exactly how I feel when I'm with you..."

"I know what you mean...I says things exactly how I want to say things..."

Cody paused. "Hmmm...Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Bailey grinned at him. "Are you suggesting this be the song we dance to for the first time as husband and wife?"

"Exactly what I was thinking..."

"I like it. It seems perfect..."

"So, shall we get some practice dancing to it then?"

"I'd love to..."

They continued to dance with each other through the rest of the song. Cody pulled her a little closer, and Bailey laid her head on his shoulder.

"Cody?"

"Yeah?"

"I promise the next time we dance to this song, I'll be a lot more graceful on my feet..."

Cody pulled back and kissed her. "I don't think you heard me complaining any..."

Soon enough, the crowds were again gathering on the streets below. It was thirty minutes until midnight, and the four couples headed up to the observation level to get a better view of the festivities. As the minutes ticked away, the crowd grew even more and more frenzied. Cody had his arms wrapped around Bailey, and she looked up at him.

"Maybe one year we actually go down there and join the madness?"

Cody smiled. "Maybe...But if we are going to do that, we might as well face the madness in Times Square..."

Bailey smiled back at him. "I think I would like that..."

They continued to smile at each other as they heard the crowd grow with even more excitement as it was announced there was one minute left.

"Do we really have to wait for midnight?"

Cody shook his head. "Not in my book..."

Both closed the distance between then, and soon, both had their lips pressed firmly against the others. As they continued to kiss, the sounds of a countdown were background noise to them. Neither could really remember hearing a loud cheer from below, but by the time they finally pulled apart from each other, 2013 was there. If that kiss was any indication, it was going to be a good year.

_The End of Part I..._

**Author's Note: Part 2 will be up tonight at some point. The next semester will return back to some more action and mystery. Part 2 will see Cody and Bailey through graduation from Yale and their final three semesters.**

**Author's Note 2: I thank all of those who have read my collaboration with Creddie Cailey _A Rose by Any Other Name_. We believe we have it mapped out now and only need to decide on how we want to end it.**

**Author's Note 3: It also looks like I will be having another collaboration coming out soon too. I won't reveal my co-author yet, but we should have some fun with it as we think we have a good idea.  
**


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